New Krypton
by PhantomKnight88
Summary: When Lois is killed by a hitman from Luthorcorp, with her falls Clark Kent only to rise as Kal-El Emperor of New Krypton, formerly known as planet Earth
1. Chapter 1

I've had this idea bouncing around in my head for a while now, but I'm just starting to get it down on paper, so bear with me. Like it, hate it its your own perogative.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything related to Smallville or Superman, cause if I did Lana and Clark would have been over the moment Lois entered the Smallville Mythos

**New Krypton**

_"Lois, I really don't like this," "Come on Smallville, I'm just meeting a source, it's not a big deal." "Not a big deal? Lois, your meeting the guy in Suicide Slums, you know, the worst part of town. On top of that he's supposedly a turncoat from Luthorcorp. It could be a trap for all you know. By now Lex would do anything to silence you. Lois, honey, I'm not mad it just seems that ever since you've gotten this job at the Planet you've been taking bigger and bigger risks. Please try to see this from my point of view. Every time you go on one of these investigations you get hurt."_

"_Every time? Come on Clark, getting hurt three times does not equal every time."_

_Ignoring the statement, "Please, I just don't want anything to happen to you. I love you more than you could ever know." As Clark says this he is slowly leaning in until his lips are just brushing against Lois'. _

"_I hate how you're the only one who can get me to do something, Not even Chloe can do that. But if it'll make you feel better and that you said please, I'll stay home tonight, with you." Lois pulls Clark closer deepening the kiss, letting her tongue slide along his bottom lip, seeking entrance. As Clark opens his mouth, Lois' arms slide around his neck. Clark, too busy picking her up and carrying her to their bedroom, doesn't notice Lois' crossed fingers._

_Later that evening, Lois looked across her bed, and seeing her handsome farmboy sound asleep, slowly crept out of bed. Silently she bent down, gathered her cloths, and dressed as quickly as possible. Taking one last look at Clark, Lois silently mouths "Sorry Smallville" and walks out to the front door of their apartment._

_30 minutes later, Lois was standing on a street corner of Suicide Slums, bouncing from one foot to the other. Suddenly a voice called out from behind her "Don't turn around. So you're Lois Lane."_

"_Yes and you must be my mysterious contact from LuthorCorp. So what do you have for me?"_

"_A message from Lex Luthor himself, 'Goodbye Lois'." At this the man sprang forward, wrapping his arm around Lois' neck. "You should have kept your nose out of Luthor's business, but you were just too curious. It's a shame to have to kill such a beautiful woman, but Luthor pays well. Goodbye Miss Lane." The lights briefly glared off the needle, as the hit man plunged it into Lois' neck._

_As Lois collapsed to the ground, she managed to utter a single word, "Clark."_

_Across the city Clark Kent sat up in bed. Without hesitating Clark got out of bed, and sped towards where he had heard Lois' voice. _

_Seeing Lois collapsed on the ground brought Clark to his knees beside her. With tears in his eyes he gently pulled Lois into his arms. "Clark."_

"_It's ok, Lois, its ok, I'm here, don't worry, you'll be alright."_

"_N-n-not, this time S-s-sma-allville. I I s-sh-should have listened to…to you. D-don't forget me."_

"_Lois, I could never forget you, but I won't have to, you're going to get better, you have to. I, I don't know what I'd do without you."_

"_I love you Clark." With this Lois' head fell against Clark's chest._

_With tears running down his face, Clark buried his face in Lois' hair, his shoulders shaking with his sobs. To a passerby it would seem as if his whole world had ended. Suddenly Clark sprang to his feat and he disappeared in a gust of wind as his sensitive hearing had picked up "Yes sir, she's dead. She'll never bother you again. Right, goodnight sir."_

_Just as the phone slipped shut, the man was grabbed by the neck and lifted off the ground. "Who hired you? WHO HIRED YOU? Tell me or you'll which you'd never been born"_

_Gasping, "It was Lex Luthor." The man crumpled to the ground as Clark released him, and started to crawl backwards as fast as he could, trembling from fear. _

"_I'll deal with Lex, but first I'll deal with you." Clarks eyes glowed red, and the man was engulfed by flames, his screams soaring through the night. _

_Clark turned from the clump of ash that had just seconds ago been a living breathing person. With each step he took towards Lois' body, his face changed just a little bit. By the time he had picked her up, Clark Kent's face would have been unrecognizable to anyone who knew him, and those who didn't would run as fast as they could in the opposite direction, for his face was one of pure rage, a face that thirsted for vengeance. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry if these next two chapters confuse you, all will be explained, I promise**

_…For his face was one of pure rage, a face that thirsted for vengeance._

At the hand on her shoulder, Lois instinctively reached up and using her body weight, threw her assailant across the bed.

"Geez Lois, if that's how you greet your own roommate, I'd hate to see what you would do to a burglar."

"Chloe?"

"No, Santa Clause, but I see how you could get confused since we look so much alike."

"Sorry, strange dream, nightmare actually. I was dating Smallville, and I got killed by a hit man from LuthorCorp. But the strangest part, was how fast Smallville could run, he got from one side of the city to the other in seconds."

Sock grazed Chloe's face for a second before she was able to transform it into a look of disbelief. "Clark, run faster than a speeding bullet? Lois, I think all those late nights at _The Planet_ are starting to get the better of you. Speaking of which, if you don't start getting ready, we'll never get there."

"Never get where? I didn't know we had plans for the day."

"We didn't, but Clark needs some help on the farm, so I volunteered the two of us" Seeing Lois' incredulous look, she amended, "Ok, he doesn't even know we're coming, but ever since he broke up with Lana, he's been spending all of his time up in the loft."

"So what's new? Smallville is always up in that stupid loft, and he broke up with Lana over three months ago. He even didn't seem all that upset when I talked to him a _week_ after it happened. So if you don't mind, I'm going back to bed." With this Lois lay back down and pulled the covers over her head.

Chloe glared at her cousin's back. She had know it was going to be hard to get Lois over to the Kent farm, but this was ridiculous, especially with all the restrictions Clark had placed on what to tell her. Well, actually his rules had been quite simple, 1) No telling Lois, Clark wants her out there, 2) Lois can't know Clark has something very important to tell her, and 3) make sure Lois gets out to the farm sometime early Saturday morning.

The third rule was more that likely going to be harder than the other two put together; on weekends Lois never woke up before ten unless there was something important she needed to do. 'Aha, I've got it!'

"Lois, I completely forgot. Kara has a really big date tonight and asked if you could come out today. She said she needed advice on the new cloths she bought. You are after all like the older sister she's never had."

With this Lois pushed her covers back and immediately got up to get ready saying, "I'll be ready in half an hour."

'Oh yea, if there's one way to get Lois to do something it's to tell her a friend needs help.' Chloe thought as she pulled out her phone to text Kara, her plan.

Thirty-five minutes later the cousins were pulling into the Kent's driveway.

"Lois! Thank Rao you're here. I don't have a clue as to what to wear tonight," Kara said as she came down off the patio. "And Clark's no help at all; he's got the fashion sense of a toothpick." Kara was actually very pleased with Chloe's idea, because even if she didn't know it, Kara had actually been hoping for Lois' advice.

"Glad someone else notices Smallville's lack of fashion. By the way, who's Rao?"

"No-no one. Just the name of some god I heard of somewhere. Let's go," Kara said dragging Lois and Chloe into the house and up to her bedroom.

It had taken over two hours, but between the three girls they had finally found the perfect outfit for Kara to wear on her date. She was wearing dark blue jeans, and a deep red shirt, that showed just enough cleavage to be enticing, but not show of all the goods.

"Kara, you are going to knock this guy's socks off. He won't know what hit him."

"Thanks Chloe, but I'm not sure about the red shirt, it just seems like I only wear red and blue shirts."

"Kara, you Kents seem to pull of the primary colors better than any other color. Just trust on this."

"Speaking of other Kents, where Smallville gotten off to. I haven't seen him." Chloe and Kara shared a pointed look at the concerned look on Lois' face. It was time.

"Clark's been holed up in the loft for the last few days. I think he's finally gotten a case of Lana withdrawal. You know Lois, you're better at getting Clark out of these pity parties, why don't you go talk to him."

Lois didn't even bother to answer before heading out to the barn. Once she was out of hearing range Kara turned to Chloe and asked, "How do you think she'll react?"

"I don't know, but what ever she way she chooses to go, Clark will have one heck of a trip on his hands."

"Rao be with him."

_For those who don't know Rao is the name of the Kryptonian god_


	3. Chapter 3

Lois staked toward the barn, contemplating what in the world she was going say to get Clark out of his latest Lana brooding session, but nothing she thought of would work. 'I know I'll just make it up as I go along; that's what I usually do.'

When Lois reached the top of the stairs she saw Clark standing at the loft window. "You know Smallville if you stand there long enough you might just turn into a statue."

Clark smiled but didn't turn around or even act as if he'd heard her. Now that she was here, he wondered if he should actually go through with his plan. He wanted to, he really wanted to, he really really wanted to. His latest relationship with Lana had taught him just how better his life was when the person closest to him knows the truth.

Now that they had broken up for the last time (really it is the last time) Clark realized that he wanted Lois to be among the people who know about him. He was just worried how Lois would react. 'Will she think he's insane? Will she be afraid of me? Will she expose him to the world? Will she…?

"Hello Smallville, did you go catatonic on me? I know Lana breaking up with you was traumatizing, but going into a coma weeks later is kinda pathetic." Clark snaps out of his thoughts at Lois' works and hand waving in front of his face. And even though she's trying to hide it Clark can see the obvious concern under her sarcasm.

Looking at her, Clark realized what a fool he was being believing that Lois' attitude towards him would change. 'Ha, if anything she'll make me watch a whole bunch of alien attack movies or get me to use my powers to spy one someone.'

Clark turns to look at her with a blank look on his face. He stares at her not saying anything, wanting her to make the first move. Surprisingly it's a full minute before Lois cracks.

"Ok Smallville, tell me what's wrong before I have to beat it out of you." She pulls him over to the couch, pushing him down. She stands over him with her hands on her hips. "Now talk."

With a theatrical sigh Clark begins. "Before I say anything I need you to promise not to say _anything_. This is going to be hard enough without you commenting on everything I say. Promise?

"My lips are sealed." She motions zipping her lips. "Now what's going on?"

"I know you think this' about Lana, but it's not."

"What…?"

"Lois."

"Sorry."

"So this isn't about Lana, it's about my adoption…"

"But…"

"Didn't you promise not to interrupt?"

Not looking all that repentant, Lois falls silent motioning for Clark to continue.

"You know that Johnathan and Martha Kent aren't my real parents, and that I wasn't born in Smallville, but the truth is much bigger than that. I wasn't born anywhere near here, I wasn't born anywhere near this planet or even this galaxy. I was born on the planed Krypton." Clarks pauses letting this sink in, and watches as Lois sinks down next to him on the couch before continuing.

"When I was an infant Krypton exploded and in order to save my life my birth parents sent me here to earth. The ship crashed during the first meteor shower where the Kents found me and raised me as their son.

"But that's not all. Because of my um…physiology the sun's radiation gives certain powers. I have enhanced strength and speed. I have heat vision and can see through anything but lead. I can freeze things with my breath and have super hearing. I'm also practically invulnerable and when I'm hurt I heal really quickly. I even flew a couple times, but I've never been able to control it, at least not yet."

Lois sits there in shock, trying to grasp what Clark is telling her. Finally she manages to squeak out, "Is there anything you can't do?"

Laughing Clark replies, "I'm not a god Lois, I'm still mortal. I'm no where near invincible. My biggest weakness is the meteor rocks. It's been dubbed Kryptonite because it's the radioactive remains of Krypton. Before you ask, there is more than one color, and the different colors affect me in different ways. Green kryptonite robs me of my powers and will kill me if I'm exposed to it for too long. Red strips me of my inhibitions, letting me act on whatever feelings I have; silver makes me paranoid; and the blue causes me to lose my powers without hurting be. There's also black but I'm not quite sure what that one does.

Finished Clark quietly watches Lois' face trying to gage her reaction, but to no avail. Her face is completely blank.

Lois' face might look blank, but on the inside her emotions are running wild. While Clark was first talking her reaction was disbelief. Clark was just taking their teasing to a whole new level by making up some harebrained story. But as he continued she realized he was completely serious, her next reaction was that he's delusional. She didn't really believe that for a second, so as the realization that her best friend is an alien sinks in so does the shock.

Despite the shock, she can't help but feel a slight bit of elation; elation that she finally knows the big Kent family secret. Also that she didn't have to figure it out on her own, that Clark was willing to tell her himself.

Clark watches Lois his worry building inside him again. She's going to think he's insane or run screaming off the farm, but just as he was thinking that (a thought that would be amusing any other time) Lois' face spreads into a wide grin.

"This is so cool! Can you show me your powers?"

This is not what Clark was expecting, and it takes him a moment to reply, but he eventually manages to get the words out. "Yea, sure, no problem."

They start to walk down the stairs when Lois turns to face Clark. "Don't worry Smallville, after we're done here, I know some movies we can watch."


	4. Chapter 4

It was several hours later before Lois decided she had seen enough of Clark's powers. She had literally given him every challenge she could think of to test his limits, though the only thing really discovered, not that they would admit it, was how much they enjoyed spending time together, and how easy it was for Clark to be himself around her.

As they were walking back up the dirt road leading to the farm house, the screen door burst open to reveal the anxious looking Chloe and Kara. Kara reached the pair first, pulling Clark into a hug

"Oh thank Rao; it's been so long I'd thought she'd killed you Clark."

"Yea Clark, what took the two of you so long?"

"Lois was having fun with my abilities; she gets more of a kick out of them than I do."

Lois looked affronted and replied, "At least I can think of better things to do with your powers than do farm chores."

Kara laughed at their banter, and silently praised Clark on his decision to finally tell Lois the truth. Maybe now they would finally admit there was more to their relationship than friendship. "So Lois, you find Clark's powers cool?"

"Cool? They're amazing, and that speed running thing, I don't think I've ever felt something that incredible."

"Well, if you love super speed, then you're going to love flying."

Lois looks slightly confused and turns to Clark. "I thought you said, you've only flown a couple times, and never had any control over it. How could you take Kara flying?"

"Opps, I guess forgot to mention, Kara is my biological cousin. Her father Zor-El is my father's brother. Kara and I are the last survivors of Krypton."

"Wow, so both of you were infants when you came here?"

Kara, with a sheepish look on her face, replies, "Um, no. I was the age I am now when Krypton exploded. My father placed me in a suspended animation ship. I would have awoken when my ship landed on earth, but it crashed into the dam, and wasn't uncovered until the dam blew up."

"That spaceship was yours? Clark, you bonehead; you told me I slipped in the mud and hit my head on a rock."

Before Clark could stop sputtering and give an answer, a car pulled up and stopped in front of the group.

Jimmy got out of driver's side. "Hey Chloe, Kara, you guys, I mean gals, ready to get your groove on." Jimmy hastily moved on at the looks on the others faces, and pointed to the guy getting out of the passenger seat. "Kara, this is my friend Alex, he's going to be your date tonight."

"Cute, this is going to be fun." Clark coughs and gets a menacing looks on his face, while Alex pales. "But not too much fun, it's only a first date after all."

Chloe steps in before Kara says something that will make Clark really hurt Alex. "If we want to get to the restaurant on time we need to be going. Lois be nice."

As the car leaves the sight of the two people standing in the driveway the innocent look Lois had plastered onto her face fell, and Clark could spot an evil glimmer in her eye. "Come on Smallville, let's go have some fun." Clark suddenly fears for his life.

L&C-L&C-L&C-L&C-L&C-L&C-L&C-L&C-L&C-L&C-L&C-L&C-L&C-L&C-L&C-L&C-L&C-L&C-L&C

Lois and Clark had just finished watching three alien attack movies, the last one being Lois' favorite _Independence Day_ (It's my favorite).

"Now that was fun, we should do it again sometime." Lois was lying back on the couch with her feet in Clark's lap. "Smallville, you're not done yet."

"How about we don't do this again, and never mention this time. And yes I am done; I agreed to rub your feet till the end of the movie. Besides its getting late; do you want to stay here or go home."

"I think I'll go home, I don't want to impose on you."

Muttering. "Since when has that stopped you before?'

"What'd you say?"

"Nothing. Have a good night."

Lois was halfway out the door, before she answered. "You too…E.T." She managed to close the door before the pillow hit her."

Lois finally let herself actually truly contemplate the day's events as she drove home. "Man, who'd have thought? Smallville's an alien with superhuman powers. Who am I kidding, the only things that changed is that I have a bigger arsenal to hit him with."

So intent on her thoughts, Lois never sees it till it's too late. The next thing she knows is a white light, and an intense headache. Then nothing.

_Now we get into the actual story, all the boring intro stuff is over. Please review, and if you have any ideas on how to make my writing better, don't hesitate to say so. Also please tell me if you see any typos._


	5. Chapter 5

_They buried her in Smallville, only two plots away from Johnathan Kent, as Martha had said numerous times before that she was as much a Kent as Clark. The day was dark with storm clouds, rain pouring down on the mourners. The weather reflected the mood of all Lois' loved ones._

_Everyone who had loved Lois, as well as many who just had admired her from afar, stood together watching as the black casket was lowered into the ground allowing the rain to hide their tears. Or lack thereof. They were all there; all but the one Lois had loved the most._

_Clark hadn't been seen for days; not since he had walked into the Kent's yellow farm house carrying Lois' limp body in his arms. Never the less Chloe couldn't believe that he would miss the funeral, but before she could truly let the anger flow, she turned and saw Clark standing several feet away._

_At first, Chloe was relieved, but upon seeing the look on his face her relief turned to fear , before it could truly surface. _

_She had never seen a look like that on her best friends face, and she starts to tremble when his face hardened even farther when he saw Lex Luthor's arm around Lana's shoulders, a faux look of sadness on his face._

_To Chloe, it couldn't be clearer; Lex had had her cousin murdered, and Clark was going to make sure he paid. For the first time, Chloe could truly say that Clark frightened her._

_Clark turned his face toward Chloe, who could see the intense pain that filled his eyes, then with one last hateful look at Lex, speeds off._

_In seconds Clark is thousands of miles away, standing in front of an ice pillar in his Fortress of Solitude. His gaze was so intent that he didn't notice the intruder till he was standing right next to him._

_"She was a beautiful woman Kal-El. Oh, excuse me, Clark."_

_"Milton Fine, or should I call you Braniac?" Those who knew Clark would never have guessed it was him from the sound of his voice. What had once sounded warm and inviting had turned cold and deadly._

_"Either name works just fine. I just wanted to express my sympathy, the two of you could have been very happy together. I was also wondering what you plan to do."_

_Clark's jaw clenched and unclenched several times before he could bring himself to answer Braniac's question. "What do I plan to do? I'm going to make Luthor suffer beyond his imagination before killing him. He doesn't deserve to live after everything he's done."_

_"That's a worthy goal, but I can't help but think you could do more. Think about it. There are men just as evil as Lex Luthor in the world, men who will cause others the same pain you are feeling now."_

_"What do you want me to do about it?" Curiosity was now mixed with the coldness._

_"I want what your father wanted of you; to fulfill your destiny _Clark_."_

_As Clark nods in agreement his face becomes alive with a dark happiness; his posture visibly changing to match his voice and eyes. "Yes, to fulfill my destiny, but don't call me Clark… My name is Kal-El." _

Ok, so I wrote two chapterts today, but I hadn't been planning on posting this one for a couple days. I decided to be nice though, so enjoy it cause I have no idea when the next chapters coming.


	6. Chapter 6

Lois slowly returned to consciousness, instinctively knowing that something wasn't wrong, but wasn't right either. Finally finding strength to open her eyes, Lois was met with one of the most bizarre sights she had ever seen.

She was in an alley, that in and of itself wasn't bizarre, but what was, was the fact that it was clean. There was no garbage lining the walls, or rat/mice carcass. Heck, it even looked like the garbage bin had just recently been painted. And to top it off, there wasn't a single mark of graffiti on anything.

Unable to accept what she was really seeing, Lois passed this phenomenon off as the owner's of the surrounding buildings as clean freaks; that is until she reached the street.

Compared to the street, the alley Lois had just left looked positively filthy. There were rows of tall trees lining both sides of the street, all of the houses neatly painted, with lush green yard and bright flowers. The asphalt of the street was as black as if it had been laid the day before, without cracks or pot holes.

_How is this possible, I must have been transported to some quaint little town. _Looking around Lois hoped to find some one who could tell her where she was, but it must be pretty early in the morning as no one was out; that and the fact that she could see the sun just peaking up over the eastern horizon.

Not having anything else to do Lois started walking down the street. Half an hour later, she reached the edge of the neighborhood and found herself staring at the street signs.

_Ok, I'm dreaming, this is completely impossible. No way on Earth am I where this says I am_. Before her the signs read, _Sulka _and _Holtz _(I just made up names here, for those who recognize the second name, I've been watching reruns of Angel), two of the major streets of _Suicide Slums_.

_There is no _way_ in Hell I'm in _Suicide Slums_. Even the rich areas of Metropolis don't look this good. I must be dreaming or I'm in a coma or both. Yes that's it, I crashed on the way home from the farm and now I"m in a coma. And I can prove it, you don't feel pain while in a coma induced dream._

Lois pinches herself; hard. _Ow, oh holly crap ow. Ok not dreaming, but if I'm not dreaming what the hell is going on. Its almost like... _Something caught Lois' eye.It was a newspaper dropped face up in the garbage can, not only that it was a _Daily Planet_ news paper; it's front page blazed the words** Emperor to Return After Six Month World Tour**. As interesting as that was, it was the date of the paper that caught Lois' eye; April 12, 2043.

This hits Lois like a ton of bricks; she is in Metropolis thirty-five _years_ in the future, and there's some emperor. Suddenly remembering the main article Lois turns back to the newspaper in her had and beings to read:

_Six months ago our beloved emperor began his world tour, visiting almost every major city showing how much he loves and cares for the people he rules. Now he is set to return to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the day he united every nation, tongue and people under his banner. Emperor Kal-El..._

_Emperor Kal-El._ Lois' whole body seemed to freeze as she read that name. Kal-El the name Clark had told her just hours before was his birth name. She quickly turns the paper over to see the picture, and a chill runs through her entire body.

The background is taken up by a large blood red S shield on black. Clark stands in front of the shield wearing black dress pants and a black jacket over a midnight blue, button up shirt, looking very much like an emperor. It was Clark, there was no denying the basic features of the man who had become Lois' best friend, but there was a coldness she had never seen before. His eyes were hard and calculating, his face expressionless. It was as if all warmth had left him.

Lois didn't know how long she stood there, it was as if the entire world had been ripped from beneath her feet, but suddenly she felt a presence at her side. She turned and looked over to see a tall man with a serious expression on his face. The man was wearing some kind of black armor with the red S covering most of his chest.

"Officer Bradford, New Krypton law enforcement, present your identification card or be arrested."


	7. Chapter 7

Lois stared at the armored man blankly for several seconds. "Uh, identification card? I um, was in such a hurry I left it on my dresser."

As the man's face was hidden behind a black helmet, Lois couldn't see whether he believed her story. "Unacceptable, you're coming with me." _Guess that answer's my question._

"Look officer, I'd love to go with you but…"

What ever Lois was about to say was cut off by the appearance of another man. "Selia, baby I'm so sorry, please, please forgive me for being such a jerk." With this he pulls Lois into a tight hug, and Lois hugs him back out of reflex. The man pulls out of her embrace, just as she realizes he's saving her hide.

As he turns to address the officer, Lois takes a few moments to study her savior. He's tall, about six three, with black hair, and bright blue eyes. _Except for the thinness of his face, he looks exactly like Clark.._ She see's him smile at the officer. _He even has Clark's charm smile. Who is this guy?_

Lois pulls herself out of her own musings and turns her focus toward the conversation taking place. "I'm sorry officer, It's my fault Selia doesn't have her ID, I had a difficult shift at work, I work nights, and was looking for something or someone to take my anger out on." The man was laying the charm on so thick you'd have to cut it with a chain saw. Unfortunately, Officer Bradford must be a robot.

"Doesn't matter, she was outside her quarter's without her identification card. It is my duty to take her to head quarter's so she can be finger printed, and her identity confirmed."

This didn't faze the man in the least. "If I recall correctly, that doesn't need to happen so long as there are two people who can corroborate the identity of the person in question, so long as they have not committed any crimes."

"That is the law, but you are the only one corroborating her identity, therefore she must come with me. Come."

He reached for Lois, but before he could touch her, another stranger came up, but this time it was a woman about the same age as the young man.

"Selia, thank goodness. When you didn't show for breakfast I got worried." She embraced Lois just as the man had done. She pulled back and looked to the men. "Ryer, what's going on?"

_So this guy does have a name, a strange one, but still it's a name. And whose this woman, she looks like ME._ Before Ryer could explain, Officer Bradford stepped forward.

"This woman was caught out of her quarters without an identification card."

"Oh I'm sorry officer; my sister must have been upset she's never forgotten her ID before."

"You corroborate this woman's identity… fine she's released to your custody, but make sure she gets her identification card before you go anywhere."

Ryer and the woman give solemn nods and the officer stalks off without a backwards glance.

"Ok, not that I'm not grateful for your help, but who the blazes are you and why'd you help me?"

Ryer turned toward Lois at her outburst. "As you've heard my name's Ryer, and this is my twin sister Lara. As to why we helped you, we were curious. People haven't worn clothes like what you're wearing in about twenty-five years; it's probably why you attracted the attention of Officer Personality Disorder."

"Well, I appreciate your help, but I think I'll be on my way."

Lois starts to walk off, but she had barely gone a step before an iron hand gripped her upper arm. She turns around to only to come face to face with the young woman Lara._ Holly crap, how'd this chick get so strong?_

"Look, you might think you're capable of taking care of your self, but unless you want to be stopped by every single law enforcement officer in Metropolis, you need to come with us. Like my brother said, it's your clothes. More specifically your blue jeans; that fabric isn't even made anymore."

Lois finally notices just how different her clothes are than the twins. They are both wearing cloth pants, but while they were the same color of blue jeans they were obviously not made of the same material. The shirts seemed to be made of the same material as well.

"What makes your clothes so much different than mine; it looks like regular cotton cloth."

The twins burst into howling laughter. It was almost three minutes before Ryer was finally able to answer her. "This fabric," he says pulling at his shirt, "replaced cotton. It's synthetic and indefinably more durable, not to mention more comfortable, I uh, borrowed some from a museum when I was ten. I'm not sure how the scientists did it, but they did."

"Must be expensive, that looks like only rich people can afford it."

Again the twins break into laughter, but this time it was Lara who answered. "You think this is fancy you should see what our father wears; you'd think these were the clothes of a pauper next to his. Your people must really be out of touch with what's been going on up here."

"My people?"

Ryer breaks in again. "Yea your people, the underground. The people who decided to live below the streets instead of submitting to the emperor's rule, many of whom fight against his order."

_They think I'm from some sort of underground society? Well, it works better than the truth. Who knows what they'd do then._ "Yea, the underground. I decided I'd been cooped up down there long enough and decided that I wanted to see above ground. My dad will be furious when he finds out I've left."

"Don't worry; it's not your fault that your parents and grandparents can't see that all the emperor was trying to do when he took over the world was to create a peaceful place, where no violent crimes happened. He might be hard in his rule, but it's for the best. He learned a long time ago that when humans are in control the world is full of violence and blood shed."

Lara starts to speak as her brother stops. "He often takes a hard line when it comes to obedience to laws, but those laws have brought almost complete peace. Now it is only the rebels who stand in the way of true peace."

_These two can't be serious, taking over an entire planet through war, then subjugating its people to harsh laws, and all in the name of true peace? Sounds a little too Adolf Hitler to me. People can't be forced into peace; it has to come from within._ Instead of voicing these thoughts, Lois asks a different question. "You two have a lot of respect for the emperor don't you?"

The entire time the three of them had been walking, Lois hadn't paid attention to where they'd been going, but as they turn around the next corner a magnificent palace stands before them.

This time Lara and Ryer answer together. "Of course we have, he is our father."


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry this has taken so long. Life gets so hectic sometimes and this chapter was so hard to write, but I made it extra long to make up for my absence. Besides I seriously rewrote some parts like fifteen different times. I'm sure it won't be too hard to figure out which. I also forgot to do this:**

Spoilers: Anything from all seven seasons is fair game.

_Fa-father? Well that explains why Ryer looks so much like Clark, but why does Lara look like me?_

Seeing Lois' confused face, and mistaking it for fear, Ryer decides to allay her fears. "Look, just because the Emperor is our father doesn't mean that we're going to turn you in. If we had wanted to do that we wouldn't have saved you from that law enforcement officer."

Lara decides to help as well. "Yea, like we said before the laws might be harsh, but it's to prevent rebels from disrupting the peace. And you're obviously not a rebel."

Lois gives the two an amused look before replying. "You know I had kinda figured out you didn't want to arrest me, but I do want to know exactly what you are going to do with me."

"Well, our mother is in the habit of providing false identification card to some undergrounders, so we figured she could help you."

"Wait your mother, whom I'm assuming is the empress, disobeys her husband's laws and helps rebels evade law enforcement? Seems a little backwards."

"Mom's… not to fond of Dad's laws. I don't think she even approved of him taking control, even for the purpose of peace."

"Sounds like my kind of woman. Lead the way guys."

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The twins lead Lois through the vast halls and despite her best attempts to remember the pathway, she was hopelessly lost. It was nearly fifteen minutes before the trio found themselves before a rich oak door, ornately carved. Ryer knocks softly on the door.

A soft voice that Lois found strangely familiar calls out. "Come in."

Ryer opens the door and says, "Mom, we found another undergrounder that needs fake papers and clothes. We thought you could help."

"Ryer, Lara. As much as I would love to help, your father..." The woman stops mid sentence as Lois walks through the door. "Lois?" Confusion is obvious in her voice and on her face.

The same is mirrored in Lois'. "Lana?"

The twins stood dumbfounded between the two women. It was Lara who found her voice first. "You guys know each other? How?"

Lana recovers her composure and answers, "That is none of your concern. Now your father has requested your presence in his office; the two of you had best be on your way. I'll take care of this woman."

"Yes mother," both twins reply as they walk silently out the door.

Lana motions for Lois to sit down in the chair in front of her desk. The silence is almost palpable as the remaining two people stare at each other as if neither can believe who they are seeing.

Lois, not comfortable with the uncomfortable silence speaks first. "Either I have a very hyperactive imagination in reaction to being told Clark's secret, or I'm in some alternate reality."

The tension broken, Lana smiles. "I don't know about the alternate reality portion, but I don't doubt you have a hyperactive imagination, how else could you have been a kick-butt reporter?"

Lana shakes her head as if to dismiss the subject. "It doesn't matter. What we need to do now is figure out how this happened. What is last thing you remember? Oh, and what year are you from?"

"How did you…never mind, I don't want to know. Let's see, it was 2008 and I was driving back to my apartment after finding out that one of my best friends was born on another planet and has superhuman powers."

Lana's face crinkles with confusion. "It's 2008 and you're just finding out about Clark's powers, how did you find out?"

"He used Chloe and Kara to trick me out onto the farm and he told me."

Lana speaks softly to herself, but still loud enough for Lois to hear. "Huh, that's interesting and defiantly not how I remember it happening, but then it has been thirty-five years." She raises her voice to address Lois. "So when did you and Clark start dating?

Lois bursts out laughing almost falling out of her chair. She just barely manages to choke out, "Clark and I… and I… da-dating? I'm not… I've never dated Clark, not even a single date. Like I've said before and will most likely say again; not going to happen in this or any lifetime." She laughs for several moments before being able to calm down, but amusement still colors her voice. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I'm starting to think your alternate reality idea isn't so crazy. Despite what you've just stated, like you've said, I've heard numerous times, the Lois and Clark I knew started dating around Valentines Day 2007. Lois became infected with some red kryptonite laced love potion, she kissed Clark and infect…"

"Yea I remember that, well not exactly remember, Chloe told me about it. But Clark and I never started dating." Lana gives Lois a don't interrupt look, and remembering some strict teacher's she'd had, shut's up.

"As I was saying, Lois kissed Clark infecting him with the red k. I don't know if he told you, but red k removes his inhibitions, and lets him do what he wants when he wants to. He and Lois started making out in a phone booth in the _Daily Planet_ moving to an office after a while. I don't know all the details but they started talking about Oliver Queen and Clark, wanting to prove himself, jumped to Queen's apartment from the roof of the _Planet_."

"So that's what happened. Grr, and Clark said he had forgotten the whole thing too. He is so dead when I get home."

"Now I really believe you're from an alternate reality, the Lois from this world remembered the whole thing. She and Clark started dating less than two weeks later."

"Makes sense. Wait, you keep referring to your Lois and Clark in the past tense. Now Clark I can understand, cause the Clark I know could never take over the world" She pauses for a few seconds then continues. "Well he could but he wouldn't. Anyways, why do you keep referring to this Lois in past tense?"

A look of sadness crosses her face and invades her voice. "Come with me, I want to show you something. But first we should get you different clothes."

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Lois' eyes darted all around taking in the sight of the palace halls. The place was even bigger than it looked from the outside. The pair had been walking fifteen minutes and hadn't even left the public areas of the place, and to Lois' complete surprise Lana calmly mentioned that the place they were going was in the emperor's private wing.

_This is crazy; we're going to get caught. But at least these clothes are comfortable, even my flannel pajamas aren't this good._ Lana had supplied Lois with basic black pants and a red shirt, as well as a falsified identification card saying she was Selia Powelski, born and raised in the former country of Lithuania. Selia was in Metropolis because her parents had wanted her to see New Krypton's capital. If anyone asked she was to say that she had happened to run into the Empress when she'd gotten lost on her tour of the palace and the Empress had graciously offered to show her around.

Finally, Lois and Lana reach the Emperor's private wing, more specifically his private office.

Lana turns to Lois. "We have nothing to fear, Kal-El is stuck in meetings, so he'll be in his public office where he meets his counselors and governors. This is his private office; only a handful of people are allowed behind its doors, and besides for Kal-El I'm the only one who knows the code."

She hits a series of buttons and silently the door swings open. The room is simply decorated, but its simpleness made it look even more elegant. The walls were a rich cream, the carpet a deep blue, and a couple couches along opposite walls a color just darker than the walls. Pictures star constellations, and various other deep space pictures (think of some of the Hubble telescope pics you've seen) decorated the walls. An ornately carved oak desk was the fanciest and largest object, with a comfortable looking leather chair behind it.

But it was none of these things that captured Lois' attention; it was the window behind the desk, replacing the entire back wall. The office seemed to be on the tallest floor of the palace; the tallest floor in the entire city. She can see all of Metropolis stretching on before her, so much more beautiful and magnificent than she had ever seen before. The sun was setting, its rays reflecting off the few clouds in the sky making them pink and orange. Combined with the city's skyline, Lois had never seen anything as beautiful.

Lana's voice floated softly, from where she stood next to Lois. "It's like this every night. If Kal-El were not such a tyrant, this would truly be a beautiful world to live in. The sunsets from this room specifically; if there's one thing Kal-E; has is in common with Clark, it's his love of sunsets."

The two watched silently until the sun was entirely below the city skyline, and all the color had faded from the sky. Lana turns back to Lois. "Come, you need to learn why this world is the way it is."

She walks over to the desk and opens one of the drawers. As she presses a button, a hidden door opens along the right hand wall (looking out from behind the desk).

Lois can't help but feel dread as she walks through the door, but nothing could have prepared her for what she sees. The only way she could think to describe it is a large, glass, rectangle tank set upon a raised dais. She can see tubes connecting from the tank to various electronic equipment set along the wall. But it is not the machinery that throws her; its the person suspended in the tank fluid.

"It's the Lois of this world, she was poisoned, by some hit man hired by Lex because she got a little too close to uncovering the skeletons in his closet. Clark was literarily broken when it happened. He disappeared after he brought her body back to the farm; only Chloe saw him and that was for about ten seconds at the funeral. To this day I have no clue how he got her body back, but he did and froze her up in his fortress (this is the ice pillar he was looking at when Braniac spoke to him).

"It was five years before any of us saw him again, and by that time Clark Kent was dead and Kal-El alive. Of all of Clark's former friends and family Lex and I were the first to see him again…"

"It wasn't a pleasant meeting." A statement, not a question.

Lana gives a soft humorless laugh. "No it wasn't."

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"_Mommy, Daddy look what I caught!" The little red headed boy's yell sounded through out the entire mansion, alerting his parents to their son's arrival, allowing them to cease their activities just before he bursts into his father's study._

"_Look, it's a little dragon!"_

_Lana gives an exasperated sigh. "Alex, what have your father and I told you about using your inside voice."_

_Alex lowers his voice to a little kid's whisper. "Sorry Mommy, but look I caught a little dragon."_

_Lex smiles as Lana tries to hide her disgust, failing miserably, but fortunately for her four year olds aren't known for their awareness. "That's wonderful, but you know outside pets should stay outside. Now go with your dad to find a nice home for him. Outside!" That last part was directed at Lex who had a nasty habit of letting his son keep his pets in the house. _

_Smiling Lex captures Lana lips in a last quick kiss. Alex seeing this fakes gagging. "Mommy, Daddy stop that's gross."_

"_Gross? Just wait till you're older, then tell me it's gross. Come on buddy lets go find a home for your dragon."_

_The small family's happiness was suddenly shattered as the two doors leaving the office suddenly burst open. One of them threw some kind of canister that released a green gas and the last thing Lex saw before falling unconscious was a group of men dressed in black fatigues with a strange red S embossed on the chest area._

_Lex is brought back to the world of the living by a rough hand smacking his face. _

"_Wakey, wakey Mr. Luthor, you're the last one to join the party. You don't want to miss out on all the excitement do you?" _

_Despite his eyelids feeling like they weigh an hundred pound each, Lex manages to open his eyes and takes a cursory look around the room._

_The first thing he sees is his wife and son sitting on his office couch, now facing the center of the room where he is laying, with two of the armed commando's standing on either side. The relief pours through him like warm water over his body after a long day at seeing the two unhurt. _

_As he continues his sweep of the room, he sees that two more commandos are covering the main entrance and another two are covering the side entrance._

That's seven in total, too many to take out on my own. I just have to try to talk my way out of it. What in blazes happened to my security?_ Lex notices that their all wearing the same outfit._ And what in the world is this symbol on their chest, I feel like I've seen it before.

_Lex finally brings his attention back to the man in front of him. This man's outfit is a little different from the others as he has two red bars on either side of his collar._ This must be their leader. If it's a hit, I should be able to offer him a better deal.

_He stands up, a little woozy on his feet but otherwise unharmed, deciding the direct approach is the best. "What do you want from us? If its money I can pay twice whatever your employer is."_

"_A tempting offer to be sure, but unfortunately for you we're loyal to our employer, and he's the one you'll have to deal with. And I can assure you, he doesn't want your money."_

"_Who is this employer and who are you?"_

"_They are the defenders of truth and justice. The ones who are willing to give their lives to make this world a better place. A place where men like you will never again reign, where corruption will become uncorrupted, and men will never have to fear their loved ones will be taken from them by force. Much like you did to me."_

_Lex's eyes dart around the room trying to find the source of the voice. A voice that sounded both eerily familiar and strange at the same time. "Who are you? What did I do to deserve this?"_

"_I'm a man who was once proud to call you his friend." _

_Lex, finally able to pinpoint the source of the voice, jerks his head up towards his library balcony where, sure enough, leaning against the railing is none other than Clark Kent. He is dressed the same as the other men, except his fatigues have a long, red cape hanging off the back._

_He begins to slowly descend the stairs. "As for why you deserve this, you know why." He stops about five feet in front of Lex. "Do you really believe I wouldn't find out? She meant the world to me."_

What? There's no way he could have found out my part in what happened to Lois. Oh well, it doesn't matter, I'll just play dumb. He's so naïve he'll believe anything I say.

_But unfortunately for Lex, this was not the Clark he had known. And despite what Lex wanted to believe he could see it himself; the once innocent and naïve face had become hard and emotionless, and his warm, blue eyes cold and empty. It was if some stranger had taken over his body; one who is cold and calculating._

_Lex made his voice as gentle as possible like he was telling his son some bad news. "Clark, I don't know what you're talking about. I know Lois was important to you, and you need to blame someone for what happened, but I had nothing to with it. I've spent the last five years trying to catch the S.O.B."_

_Lana, who had remained silent the entire time, agrees with her husband. "It's true Clark, he's spent liberal amounts of money, but it like the guy's vanished off the face of the earth." _

_Husband and wife stare in confusion as Clark begins to laugh. "Oh Lex, how stupid do you think I am? I'm not that naïve boy I used to be. But then having your reason for living being poisoned will do that to you. Besides, I don't need your word, I have proof."_

_Out of one of his pant's pockets Clark pulls out a tape recorder, the same tape recorder Lois had brought with her to her supposed interview. He clicks the play button, and his own angry voice emanates from the small device._

"_Who hired you? WHO HIRED YOU? Tell me or you'll which you'd never been born."_

"_It was Lex Luthor." Even on the tape they could hear the pure terror in the man's voice._

_The room's occupants can hear agonizing screams just before Clark clicks off the tape. Lana stares in confusion at her husband; several moments pass by before she is able to speak again._

"_Lex, how could you do such a thing? How could you have killed one of my best friends in cold blood?"_

_The fury Lex had thought he buried the day of Lois' funeral all came bubbling back. "She should have stayed out of my business. As far as I'm concerned she deserved what she got."_

_Lex is so furious he doesn't see the empty expression on Clark's face turn into murderous fury before he controls it a second latter._

"_So Lex, you admit it. You hired the hit man who poisoned Lois." _

"_Yes. Yes I did it; I made the plan, I supplied the poison, and I called the hit man. Just out of curiosity, what did you do to him?"_

_Clark's voice drops and it sends shiver's of terror down the spines of everyone in the room. "Nothing compared to what I'm going to do to you."_

_Before Lex can even blink, Clark closes the space between them and with a powerful push sends Lex flying backwards, crashing into his desk; the glass flying everywhere, and digging into his body._

_Lex lies there gasping for breath, feeling like he was hit in the chest by a metal two by four. _I didn't even see him move, and his strength; I've never felt anything like it, not even the meteor freaks were this strong. So who is he?

_Lex cannot control the terror that shoots through him as Clark crouches down in front of him. "I can see it in your face Lex; that burning curiosity that's plagued you ever since you ran your Porsche off the road." He stands up and walks back to the center of the room. He swivels back to Lex. "Well today's your lucky day, I'll tell you everything you ever wanted to know about Clark Kent."_

_Despite the situation, Lex cannot help but feel elation as Clark unfolds his story._ I knew it, I KNEW IT. I knew there was something different about him. At last something I can exploit.

_Lex allows false sympathy to color his voice. "It must have been horrible, Clark, having to lie to those you loved, people who no matter how much you trusted, could never be told the truth because you could never be certain they wouldn't slip and tell someone." He drops the façade. "So tell me, how did Lois deal with all the secrets and the lies? I mean, we both know how Lana dealt with it, seeing as she picked me over you. So did you tell her, as she died, that despite how much she thought you loved her, she couldn't even be trusted with your biggest secret?" _

_Lex's confidence shattered as Clark again starts to laugh, low and mocking. "Lex, Lex, Lex. My you are a piece of work, clever too. That just might have worked…except the fact that Lois knew everything. She knew everything before we even went on our first date. You see unlike you, I learn from my mistakes."_

_He turns to face Lana. "So tell me, how does it feel to know you traded a guy, with one admittedly big secret, who's only concern was to protect his loved ones for another who has a whole mountain full of big secrets and hired a man to murder one of your best friends?" _

_Lana can't even stutter out a single word as she sits there, holding her son, stunned. She can't believe that her teenage love, the man she had sworn she didn't know because he couldn't be honest with her, was the one man she could actually trust. And that the man who had openly told her he would never lie to her had done nothing but from the moment he had met her._

_She's sobbing when she can finally form a complete sentence. "How, how co-could you… how could you do this Lex. How could you do this to me, to our son? Your'e a monster."_

"_So you finally get. 'Bout time too, I was starting to wonder if you were really as stupid as you acted. But now you know that the only thing that runs through the veins of a Luthor are lies and deceit. Now, watch as I give out true justice…you might want to cover your son's eyes."_

_Lana pulls her son tighter against her and covers both their eyes, but there is nothing they can do to block out the screams, or the sickening crunch of breaking bones and the popping of dislocated joints._

_Lex realizing what Clark intends, tries to run for it, only to remember the armed guards at the doors. He decides that perhaps standing still will lessen the pain, and Clark will go for the quick end. _

_But no such fate awaited Lex Luthor. Clark grabs his arm, pulling it behind him until the forearm breaks and the shoulder dislocates, but before Lex can even scream, Clark's foot connects with his knee shattering the joint. He collapses onto the ground and is kicked in the side, thrown into the outer edge of the balcony._

_The torture continues for countless minutes, until all that's left of Lex is a bloody and broken body, barely conscious, barely alive._

_Clark crouches down and pain filled eyes meet furious ones. "For the record Lex, Clark Kent died with Lois, I am Kal-El."_

_He punches downward straight into Lex's chest, exactly where the heart is, going all the way through him. Lex wasn't even given time to feel remorse for his actions. _

_Kal-El stands, his entire arm from the elbow down covered in blood and cement dust, for his arm had gone through the floor as well, and turns back towards the two remaining Luthors._

_Alex peeks out from under his mother's arms and seeing his father lying motionless on the ground runs to his side. "Daddy, daddy, wake up! Please daddy!" _

_Lana is still too stunned to even react until Kal-El gives his next order. "Captain, you and your men take Mrs. Luthor outside and wait for me. I'll be along in a few minutes."_

_As the captain's hand clamps around her arm and he begins to pull her out of the room she finally comes out of her stupor. "Wait, Clark. What are you going to do with my son?"_

"_Don't worry Lana, he'll feel no pain."_

"_No ALEX!" Lana's screams for her son continue, but are quickly unheard by the remaining two living beings in the room._

_The frightened boy looks up as Kal-El rests his clean hand on his head. And for a moment a rare look of compassion crosses his face. "I'm sorry son. No one can choose who his father is; unfortunately for you no one in your family can escape the darkness."_

_His hand squeezes, crushing the boy's head before he even realizes what's happening. When released, the tiny body falls so that what remains of his head is lying on his father's arm in such a way that if it wasn't for all the blood it would look like a father and son resting side by side on a warm summer's day._

_Kal-El sweeps from the room without looking back, while two tears streak down his face. The first tears he had shed since the night Lois was poisoned, and the last he would shed for over thirty years to come._

_Outside, Lana is frantic for her son. She is briefly consoled when she sees Kal-El walking out of the mansion; that is until she notices both of his hands are now stained with blood._

_Just before he reaches the group, Kal-El spins around and the mansion suddenly erupts in flames. Lana, feeling in her heart what has happened falls to the ground, gut wrenching sobs shaking her whole body. "Alex, Alex, my little boy." Her voice is so quiet only the Kryptonian's ears can hear it._

_He silently picks up the still sobbing Lana, and takes to the sky, letting his troops follow behind him. _

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To say Lois was floored would be an understatement. She couldn't imagine how Lana could be so strong after watching a man she had once loved and admired ruthlessly murder her husband, not that he didn't deserve it, then find out he had killed her son as well just because he had Luthor blood.

"Lana, I…I'm so sorry, you're son." It came out as barely a whisper, but the other person in the room still managed to hear it.

The sad look on Lana's face becomes tinted with a look of slight amusement. "Yes, I still miss him. What I wouldn't give to hold a child of my own again."

"A child of your own? What about Ryer and Lara?"

"Remember how I mentioned Clark froze Lois' body soon after her death? Well there was no decomposition of her body so all of her organ tissue was still viable, even her eggs. Kal-El still had enough of Clark in him that he still cared for me, but not enough to have children with me. He had me sterilized, I had had a child with the devil after all, and placed two fertilized eggs from Lois into my own body.

"So yes, I carried and raised Ryer and Lara and I couldn't love them more if they were own children, but genetically they're not. They're Lois' all you have to do is look at Lara to see it. Besides that's how Kal-El sees them, it's why he loves them so much."

"Lana…you must hate him." Lois was filled with revulsion at the thought of being the reason Clark became such a monster and couldn't fathom what Lana must felt all these years.

"You'd think so wouldn't you? But I don't."

"Why?"

Instead of answering Lana moves towards the door. "Come, its getting late. I'll find you a room so tomorrow we can discuss what to do with you."

Realizing trying to get an answer of Lana would get her nowhere, Lois takes one last look at her glass encased counterpart, and follows Lana silently out of the room.

**So did you guy's like it? Hope it answers a lot of your questions.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Ok so my friend said this chapter was kind of cheesy, but I'll let you guys be the judge.**

Ryer and Lara are halfway down the hall before they decide to speak… at the same time. "So how do you think they know each other?... Stop that… I told you first…Arg you make me mad… Ok, one, two, three." Both fall silent at the end of the count.

Lara takes advantage of her brother's sudden silence. "You are so aggravating. Do you have to say things at the same time as me?"

"Me? You're the one who say's the same thing I do."

"Oh, yeah right."

"Yes right. I'm the big brother; everyone knows the little sibling copies the older sibling."

"_Oh, come on!_ The "I'm the big brother" card got old by the time we were five."

"Yea, well…well…well take this. Mmmmmmmmm." He sticks out his tongue as far as it will go while making a scrunched face. (Or whatever the sound is when people stick out their tongues)

"Oh, no hide me; my _big_ brother is sticking out his tongue." Despite this Lara sticks out her tongue as well and scrunches her face as well.

"Mmmmmmmmmm."

"Mmmmmmmmmm."

"It's so nice to see that the two of you can act you're age."

The twins instantly stop their fighting and spin around to see the dark clothed figure coming down the hall. "Brainiac!?" (Sorry, I just realized I misspelled it earlier)

"I must ask; do the two of you practice that? Because it must take a lot of work if you do."

"NO! He/she copies me."

"Right… Anyways your father requested your presence some time ago and you know how he gets when he's left waiting."

This time it's only Lara who answers as Ryer is too busy sulking. "Lead the way Brainers."

"Don't call me that!"

"What? It's a good name…Brainers."

Brainiac gives the girl one of his most evil looks; a look that would make grown men pee their pants, but Lara just smiles serenely at him and starts walking down the hall. Ryer follows after her, neither twin noticing Brainiac's clenched hand and the hatred simmering in his eyes.

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The three entered the emperor's meeting chambers to see the emperor himself standing in front of viewscreens with the faces of his various governors showing on them. The eyes of all the governors' turned toward the newcomer's but Kal-El didn't make any sign that he had noticed them. "I'm waiting." The governor who had been speaking quickly returned to his report.

"The rebel groups in my providence have been acting up again, but it's different this time. Usually they do it piecemeal, the different groups attacking at different times.

"But now it's organized. They have even timed attacks with rebel groups in nearby providences."

Kal-El turns to the woman on the next screen. "Is this true?"

"Yes, my Lord emperor. If I didn't know these rebels groups disliked each other so much, I might believe they had united under one supreme leader."

Kal-El stood pensive as he digested this little theory. He speaks softly to himself, only the three beings with super hearing in the room with him under standing his words "A supreme leader, one who could unite the different rebel groups…Kara." He raises his voice and addresses all of his governors. "I will speak with you again shortly; in the meantime increase your troops training routines. We don't want these rebels to get the best of us."

In unison they utter, "Yes, my Lord" before their images fade from the screen.

Ryer watches as his father sits behind his desk, leaning forward slightly and resting his chin on this thumb and forefinger. Once the emperor seems comfortable, Ryer asks the question bouncing around in both his and his sisters minds. "Father, who's Kara?"

Kal-El looks up at his son, silently gazing at him for a few moments, contemplating his answer. Finally he responds, "Kara is my cousin; the daughter of my father Jor-El's brother Zor-El. She is also the only other remaining survivor of Krypton."

Lara steps forward. "You're cousin? Dad, how could your own cousin fight against you?"

"Kara did not believe taking over earth was the best solution, she believed that the world could change through..." He practically spits out the last part, "…example. She believed that showing the humans a better way could change the entire course of this world, but such things would never have worked on people like the Luthors. And now she fights against me when she should be fighting by my side. Stupid, naïve, foolish girl"

"My Lord, if I may?"

"What is it Brainiac?"

"My Lord, this "_leader"_ cannot possibly be Kara Zor-El; you killed her yourself in the initial takeover.

"I thought I did, but when I returned for her body so I could give her a proper burial I couldn't find it. It's possible she survived.

"Even if it's not her, all the rebel groups uniting could potentially pose a minor problem for us. I think its time we remove these rebels once and for all.

"Ryer, Lara, I need the two of you to put all your efforts into finding out who this leader is. When you're not doing that brush up on your strategy. With the three of us and Brainiac fighting with the rest of our army, these rebels won't stand a chance."

"Dad, the three of us?"

"Yes, Lara, the three of us. I started this and I'll finish it, and soon this world will be the utopia my father envisioned it could be.

Kal-El stands and comes around the desk. "Come, my children; we have work to do. Brainiac, use that vast intellect of yours and develop our best course of action."

"As you command my Lord."

Kal-El nods to him and sweeps out of the room followed by his children.

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Brainiac watches silently as Kal-El and his children leave the room, briefly allowing his contempt for the three to show in his eyes.

"At last, after all these years of planning the final stage is set. And victory will be _mine!_"

**You guys know how when you're writing and it takes you someplace you didn't think you'd go? Well that happened as I was writing these latest two chapters. Hope ya all like the way this is going.**


	10. Chapter 10

**I forgot to mention where I got the inspiration for this story. It's kinda a combination of the Superman the animated seires episode where Superman is unable to save Lois and he teams up with Lex Luthor to take over the world, and the Justice League Episode arch "The Jutice Lords." Both are awesome and I'd recommed wathcing them.**

**Not much actually happens in this chapter, but I think it's important to kind of see how Lois is handling everything. If you think it's rambiling just remember that these are Lois' thoughts and I don't know about you but my thoughts are pretty random even when reflecting on events.**

_"Welcome to Smallville, Hometown of our beloved Emperor"_

Lois smiles as she sees the sign through her window. How many times had the Smallvillians changed that stupid welcome sign? She doesn't know, but it's an amusing thought, especially considering how often that sign needed repairs or replacing.

The driver's voice came over the intercom, interrupting her thoughts. "Ladies and gentlemen, as you can see we have entered the outskirts of our Emperor's home town. Just hang on for a few more minutes and we'll be at the bus terminal. Those who are planning on gong the tour make sure you go to the front of the terminal to meet your group."

Lois shook her head, and sits back in her seat thinking over the last week.

The morning after Lois and Lana's original meeting it was decided that it would be better for Lois if she stayed in the palace for a little while she got used to this new world. They also decided that on the off chance that she was seen by either the emperor or someone else who had know the other Lois, a slight change in appearance was in order.

Lana dyed Lois' hair a dark brown, only a shade or two lighter than Lana's own raven tresses, and cut is so it hung just above her shoulders. It was shorter than Lois had ever had it, but it was still long enough to be pulled up if needed. A pair of dark glasses completed the ensemble.

Lois had been a little hesitant about the glasses, claiming they didn't alter her appearance that much, but Lana insisted that it would be just enough to throw off anyone's suspicion. Lana claimed that combined with the hair and age difference, the glasses, and that people knew Lois Lane to be dead, no one would ever put two and two together.

So armed with her new disguise and identification card, Lois set to exploring the palace both in the public and private areas, Lana had given her the codes for the private areas. Combined with Lois' own curiosity and Lana's info she quickly learned the ins and outs of the palace. Most importantly she learned the best places to come into the palace undetected through the secret tunnels, though she didn't know it.

Lois soon discovered that Ryer and Lara had been correct in their assumption that it was her clothes that had made Officer Bradford single her out. Over the course of the week she had passed by the increasing number of New Krypton law enforcement officers and not one of them had paid her the slightest bit of attention, not even when she was loitering.

It took her only about two times seeing pairs or trios of the black helmeted, black garbed officers to decide they were completely creepy. They all acted exactly alike, so much that Lois began to wonder if they're all androids or clones like those stoormtroopers in the Star Wars movies.

When asked, Lana had laughed and said some of them _were _androids, but the trick was to figure out which ones. She explained that when a man or woman was chosen for the New Krypton law enforcement they were sent to an academy for about three years. All she knew about the training programs was that a vibrant and unique person entered and little better than a zombie exited.

"These people have no free will," she explained. "They do what they're told, when they're told to do it no matter what the job. They are trained to uphold the letter of the law; no exceptions. If Ryer hadn't quoted the law exactly to that Officer Bradford you would have been arrested. It's slavery of the worst kind."

It was this type of thing that Lana and Lois discussed in private, either politics or current events, never the past; Lana avoided that particular topic like the plague. Lois eventually decided it was too painful for her, but she managed to satisfy a tiny part of her curiosity by reading vague articles on the computer. They helped but the desire to find out the actual events still burned within her.

Although she saw Ryer and Lara several times throughout the week she never got a chance to speak with them. Every time she did see them it only for a few seconds as they were hurrying from one place to another. That combined with the increased law enforcement activity it didn't take much for Lois to think something big was in the works.

To Lois' relief or disappointment quite she wasn't sure which, she never actually saw Kal-El. She'd heard him several times, and even that was from a separate room. The first time she heard him was her second night at in the palace. She'd been speaking with Lana when chime sounding alarms resonated throughout the room.

Lana had wasted no time popping open a hidden chamber and hurryingly pushing Lois inside. Sitting on the floor of the chamber was a card saying that the room was like a one way mirror; the people inside could hear everything going on outside, but those outside couldn't hear anything.

Lois' confusion as to why Lana pushed her in there disappeared the moment she heard the unmistakable voice of the once Clark Kent. It unnerved Lois to hear how cold and empty the voice had become. She had to will herself to remember the warmth that her Clark had emitted when telling her his secret just to keep herself from collapsing in pain.

A few meaningless words had been exchanged by husband and wife before suddenly Lois wished that the room was completely soundproof. The next few nights Lois made sure to put a pair of earplugs in her pocket just in case Kal-El decided to pay anymore late night visits. Several times she was very thankful she had.

Lana didn't reveal her plan until Lois' last night at the palace. The next morning she was getting on a bus to Smallville where a trustworthy friend would take her somewhere safe.

'No,' Lois thought. She did know what she thought about not seeing Kal-El. She would never have been able to stomach seeing what Clark Kent had become when his Lois Lane had met a tragic end. She'd kept herself busy to avoid truly thinking about it, but sitting on a bus with nothing to do made thinking unavoidable.

As the bus had driven through the streets of Metropolis, Lois couldn't help but notice how beautiful and peaceful everything looked; the ideal world to live in. Where people didn't have to worry about crime or violence, but as soon as she thought that she remembered what Lana had said about people's rights: that they had none.

There was no such thing as freedom of religion, speech, peaceful assembly, or right to bear arms. There was only the ancient Kryptoninan religion and their worship of Rao, the word was what the emperor said it was, assemblies had to be government authorized, and only law enforcement carried weapons. Simply, this government could do what it wanted, when it wanted. It was a world where anyone could just disappear. It was a world without freedom.

This is what Clark Kent had become. This is what she would have seen if she'd looked into his eyes.

And despite how often Lois told herself it wasn't Clark, that it was Kal-El, she couldn't help but think that her farm boy was the one responsible for this outrage. Clark, the lovable, bumbling farm boy she had come to respect and admire. Clark, her cousin's first crush and kiss. Clark, the man who'd done all of this because of the pain he'd felt loosing the one he loved the most.

She would bring down this Emperor Kal-El and bring back her Clark.

Clark, the man who was her best friend and confident on the verge of becoming something more…

**Hope this wan't too boring for you. I had a slow weekend at work so the next chapter is completed. You guys'll get it when I get at least five reviews, with more than just an 'Update' in them. I want actual feedback to know how I'm doing. Call it greedy if you want, but you're the ones reading it so I want to make it a good story for you.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Wow, six reviews and I only asked for five, and in one day at that. Just so you know I'll never ask that again; it was an experiment. I've seen a lot of other writers ask for something along those lines and I was just curious to see if it actually worked. I am surprised no one mentioned the whole glasses thing. Personally I thought it was funny, but then I am the one writing it. Anyways so we continue...**

Brainiac stares at the computer screen. The picture had been taken earlier that morning of a brunette woman with glasses walking next to the empress. But Brainiac couldn't believe his eyes. Nothing in his vast intelligence could explain what he was seeing before him.

It couldn't be her; he'd taken her out of the equation years ago. There was no humanly way she could be alive not to mention standing in the palace. Besides the woman on the screen had shorter and darker hair than she had had; she was also much too young.

There was a soft knock at the door.

"Come."

The door opens to reveal a man of medium build and stature, wearing nondescript clothing; his face as plain as his clothes. Someone passing him on the street wouldn't think twice about him.

"Close the door."

The man complies, but moves no further into the room waiting silently.

Brainiac hits a button on his computer terminal and across the room the man pulls out his phone.

"I want you to find this woman and bring her to me. This is not an assassination it is an abduction. But if there is no hope of capturing her, kill her and bring me the body. "

The assassin nods once and slides back out the door.

"It's not possible that it's her but there's no harm in being too careful."

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One of the passengers accidentally hits Lois with their bag stopping Lois from going down a path she wasn't ready to face yet. She hurriedly gathers her bag and exits the bus looking around for whoever might be Lana's mysterious friend.

Not seeing anyone besides the people who came in on the bus, she heads toward the bus terminal cursing Lana under her breath for not telling her anymore than, "they'll find you." She hated not being in control, it made her feel helpless; something that didn't belong in the range of Lane emotions.

Just as Lois passes the next bus she is stopped by a hand on her shoulder. Instantly the general's military training kicks in. In one fluid motion she drops her bad and reaches across her body grabbing the offending arm and using her own body as a lever, tosses her assailant over her shoulder and landing painfully in the dirt. She plants her foot on his chest, for he was male, effectively pinning him.

"Geez, they weren't kidding about you. If this is how you greet allies I'd hate think what you'd do to an enemy." His voice was mixed with humor and pain.

"Maybe you should learn not to sneak up on people; it's obviously not conducive to your health." Realizing this must be Lana's friend, Lois helps him to his feet silently appraising him. He's of African American decent, about her height and Lana's age. Attractive, but not necessarily handsome.

"I'll keep that in mind. Pete Ross, nice to meet you."

"Lois, Lois Lane. So you're the guy who was Clark and Chloe's best friend in high school."

"That's me, my only clam to fame. And from now on you might want to refer to yourself as Selia Powelski; the name Lois Lane might turn a few heads."

"Right." She can barely control the chagrin that colors her voice.

"Come on Selia, there's some people at my place anxious to meet you."

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"The Kent Farm, you live at the _Kent _Farm?"

"And used up just about all my savings to do so. A place with meaning like this one has to stay with people who care about it. Kal-El would have razed it had I not bought it after Mrs. Kent died."

"Mrs…Mrs. Kent is dead?" Lois couldn't/wouldn't believe the woman who was like her mother was dead in _any _reality.

Pete seems to share her sentiments as sadness makes his voice tremble. "She was one of the first…after the take over started… there were troops all over the town… she resisted… and they gunned her down. Since…since it was the first to be invaded, Kal-El was here personally… he saw it and severed the soldier's head from his body. Even though the Kents would have been appalled what he did, even for them, I'd never been so happy to see someone die. Or more scared."

The silence between the two is palpable. Lois doesn't want to hear this, doesn't want to contemplate it; Clark didn't kill people in vengeance, not even for his mother. Just another example of what Clark Kent became and Lois can't help but blame herself. Finally, Pete breaks the moment.

"Come on, they're waiting and more than likely, not very patiently."

As they exit the car, Lois can't help the butterflies that enter her stomach, fluttering so much she almost thinks she's about to puke. She has no clue who these people are Pete is having her meet, but she has a gut feeling that they are the one's who'll decide her future in this world.

But as it turns out, her fears are unwarranted. The door opens to reveal two very familiar faces.

"Kara Kent and Chloe Sullivan. Let me guess, you two are the leaders of these rebels I keep hearing about."

The two blond women look at each other in surprise before turning back to Lois. Suddenly Kara starts laughing. "It seems that no matter what reality she's from, Lois Lane can make the most unlikely guesses and hit the nail right on the head."

Before the conversation can go any farther, all four adults look up at the enthusiastic cry. "Dad, Dad, you're home, you're home."

Lois looks on in surprise as Pete gathers a boy of about nine in his arms. She can't put he finger on it, but there's something very familiar about his boy. "Come on buddy, I've only been gone an hour."

"I know, but Chloe and Kara made me go to my room saying they had big people things to talk about. Geez they think I'm a three year old or something." With his last comment, he sticks his tongue out at the two women in question.

"Come on Johnathan, I'm sure they didn't mean anything by it. And while I'm happy to see you, we do need to discuss some things, so go back to your room and I'll come get you when we're done."

"But, Dad…"

"No buts. When we're done we can have some ice cream or something, but only if you stay in your room. No spying."

"Ok then, later."

"Pete, that boy has you wrapped around his little finger." Despite Chloe's words, you can see the happiness reflecting in her eyes.

Suddenly Lois realizes what is so familiar about the boy; his eyes, he has his mother's eyes. "Lana, Lana's his mother." The words shoot out of Lois' mouth without thinking, disbelieve ringing with every syllable. "She told me Kal-El sterilized her."

The other two women look at Pete and Lois follows suit. He looks uncomfortable, but explains.

"It wasn't supposed to happen, honestly it was a mistake. I was at the palace doing a little recon work when I bump right into Lana. She'd been down lately, Kal-El had done something, she never told me what, and she really needed a friendly face. We started talking and it happened before I knew it. Even now we're not quite sure how it happened but a couple days later she calls me saying she's pregnant and that even if it turned out the child was Kal-Els', it would still be in danger. She managed to hide it for months and just as she started to show, convinced Kal-El to let her visit Smallville.

"She left the very next day, after giving birth and it's the only time she's seen him. But if all goes to plan, she'll see him again soon, permanently."

"If all what goes to plan?"

Kara steps forward with an earnest but serious look on her face. "Lois, its time I think you learn why you're here."

**Ha, ha and so the plot thickens once again. Just so you know, much of what I write won't really make sense till the end of the story; its still evolving as I write.**

**You know just because I'm not requiring reviews for the next chapter, doesn't mean I don't want them, because people are right reviews really do convince me to write faster (and I don't have that much to do for the next one :P**


	12. Chapter 12

**Look! Up in the sky. Its a bird. Its a plane. No its an...Update! Sorry for the wait guy's and gals; massive writer's block and then life getting in the way, you know school, friends, family, work, etc. Hope this makes it up to you, it's like five chapters in one.**

Kara pauses for dramatic effect, wanting Lois to ask but she just stares at her blankly. Kara's shoulder's slump in defeat.

"Actually, I don't know why you're here. I threw that in because it sounded all dramatic and everything."

Lois clicks her tongue. "Yea, that's kind of what I figured. All the sci-fi/fantasy books say that its never that simple."

"So you've read a lot of science fiction/ fantasy stories?"

"What? NO! It just feels like I'm in one, that's all."

"Uh huh. Sure Lois, you know you just love reading a good sci-fi/fantasy."

"I do not. I prefer mysteries if you must know."

The two only stop their argument as Chloe and Pete are no longer able to control their laughter. "As amusing as this argument is, we do have work to do. Lois, we might not know why you're here, but it's an awfully big coincidence for you to be here just now when for the first time in almost thirty years we actually have a chance to take down Kal-El, and restore freedom.

"Now, Kara and I will take Lois to base; Pete you've done your part. Go spend some time with your son."

Kara and Pete both nod while Lois looks like she's going to interrupt.

"Lois, you might be from an alternate reality, but you're still my cousin and I know you have questions; Kara and I will do our best to answer those on the way to base. It's a long drive anyway. Sound good?"

"Just one question…when do we leave?"

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The assassin looked from the image on the computer comparing it to the one on his phone; there's no doubt it's the same woman.

"Target acquired." If the man was one to let himself feel emotions he probably would have felt elated at his success, but he is too good at his job to be distracted by such petty things.

He clicks on the passenger profile page, flipping through them till he finds his target.

_Name: Selia Powelski_

_Aged: 22_

_Identification number: 564726325275 _

_Exit port: Metropolis Main 11:45 A.M._

_Arrival port: Smallville 3:00 P.M._

Again showing his effectiveness as an assassin, he doesn't even bother to ask himself why she would go to such a small town where people notice everything; his orders are to capture or destroy, not ask questions.

He closes out of the Metropolis Main bust terminal computer, erasing all signs of his hacking as he does. Once he's satisfied no one will notice the intrusion, well the crumpled bodies of the computer techs might turn a few heads, but things like this were mostly swept under the rug. He sweeps from the room; next stop Smallville.

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Lois gazes out the window trying to keep herself from fidgeting. The two blond women in front of her had promised to answer her questions, but all they had done so far was to type away at their computers.

She glares at their backs, debating whether or not to interrupt them. She doesn't want to be rude, but for goodness sakes it's been twenty minutes already.

For the first few minutes she'd amused herself by looking around the car. It's super cool too. The car itself kind of looks like a bright silver half an egg in the sense that the frame is perfectly oval from front to back. It has four doors, but they open from the middle of the car instead of all four opening forward.

As cool as the outside is the inside is even cooler. Inside are two rows of two black leather seats; the two in the back are fixed so they are constantly facing forward while the front two can swivel around to either face the people in the back or the controls on the dash board.

And what a dash board it is, it has so many buttons and features it reminds Lois of a tactical station at one of the Army bases she'd been to with the General. Pete had explained on the way up to the Kent Farm that both the right and left side have identical sets of controls so the automotive features can be controlled by either person, but if someone wanted to use the manual control joystick they'd have to be sitting on the left hand side. Lois figures that feature is mostly left untouched as who would want to drive when they could just sit in the comfortable seats and relax. Heck, the New Krypton scientists had even found an alternative to gasoline and actually implemented it.

Thinking this over Lois had to admit that no matter what your grudge was against Kal-El's regime it had brought about some incredible technology. The technology could even slow down a person's aging, at least that's what Lois figures. How else could Chloe, Lana, and Pete, all of whom are in their mid fifties, look and move like their in their thirties.

Sighing, Lois looks back out the window. Of course the only way this change had come about was that someone took over the whole world. Suddenly she notices something; she has yet to see any New Krypton regulations when it comes to appearance. People can dress how they want and accessorize with whatever they want. She would have thought that a man raised with the morals of the Kents would have imposed some restrictions when it came to appearance, yet just know a convertible had passed the car with three teens dressed in ripped and baggy clothing with more piercings that Lois would have thought humanly possible. Add that to the list of questions Lois wants to ask Chloe and Kara.

Finally, Lois can't take it anymore but just as she's about to say something both women swivel their chairs around.

"Sorry Cuz, we were just making sure that no one could follow us. Believe me the last thing we want is for someone outside the organization to find our head quarters."

"It's fine; I wasn't even getting bored yet. I've always loved looking at a billion stalks of corn. They make for great scenery."

It takes all of Kara and Chloe's self control not to roll their eyes, but they manage to succeed knowing that there are more important things at hand.

"Before you ask your questions, Chloe and I would like to know just how much you know so we don't have to repeat anything."

"I don't really know that much. Just that this world's Clark and Lois were in a relationship, she's killed essentially by Lex, and he disappears for five years. Then poof, he comes back, kills Lex, and takes over the world."

"That's pretty much the general idea. I'm not sure what else we can tell you."

"How about you tell the whole story, from when your Clark and Lois started dating until now. All Lana gave me were brief explanations, she didn't go into detail."

Chloe looks straight into her eyes. "Ok, this might be a little repetitive but it's the easiest place to start. And no interruptions, this'll be hard enough as it is. So from what Lana has told us via Pete, we've realized the exact point our two worlds started down completly different paths was Valentines Day 2007. Oliver had just broken up with Lois and Clark had finally decided that Lana wasn't the woman for him. Jimmy got the bright idea that we should set the two of them up on a date, but in typical Lois and Clark fashion they didn't go for it.

"As she was walking around Lois met this mystic woman, who offered her lipstick that would make her fall in love with the first man she laid eyes on. That person was Clark. As it turns out the lipstick was laced with red kryptonite and the next day she cornered him at the Daily Planet and kissing him managed to infect him with the kryptonite as well. They moved from the phone booth to an empty office and Lois finally realized that Clark had been the Green Arrow she kissed. Lois thought that Clark had actually been the Green Arrow but he said he only did that so she wouldn't know it was Oliver."

Here Lois has to literally bite her tongue to avoid an outburst. Clark knew Oliver was the Green Arrow the whole time, the WHOLE TIME. He is so dead when she gets home.

"Lois says she understands and that being a farm boy is good too; that she likes normal guys. Clark, wanting to prove himself in her eyes takes her to the top of the Daily Planet and uses his powers to jump over to Oliver's apartment. Now I have no clue what happened after that, I never asked and most defiantly didn't want to know, but no one saw them for three days. Clark's only explanation was that the effects of the red kryptonite just sort of wore off but during that the two realized they had been in denial about how deep their feelings went for each other.

"They started a relationship and I'd never seen either of them so happy. Every thing was great; the best part being Clark didn't have to hide anything from Lois. Apparently he had told her everything while under the influence of the red k. It was only three months later they moved into an apartment together in Metropolis where he attended Met U working for the school paper and Lois got a job with me at the DP. It was actually Kara who got Lois that position. Lex had been doing some sort of experiment at Reeves Dam and it blew up causing Kara to come out of hibernation.

"Lois wrote the story about the ship, but her evidence was 'conveniently' destroyed before it 'disappeared.' She had hoped the story itself would be good enough to get her the position. And it was; it was a shame the story never got printed.

"Things were great for about a year. Of course they had their ups and downs like any relationship. Of course you wouldn't want to have been within a three mile radius of them when they were arguing, but overall life for them was really good. That was until Lois discovered some solid proof of some of Lex's minor offenses, I say minor because they were big enough for him to decide she was a pest that had to be exterminated. With these discoveries Lois became even more determined to end Lex permanently and it put some strain on their relationship. Mainly that Clark was becoming too overprotective for Lois' liking.

"Eventually Lois must have found something worth killing her over, because…"

Chloe's voice starts to choke up and she takes a few deep breaths before continuing, albeit with a sadder tone. "Lex hired the hitman who then called Lois claiming to be an employee of LuthorCorp and that he had solid proof of whatever Lex was doing. I don't know what it was, even if she had told Clark, I haven't really spoken to him since the day before she died.

"We still have no clue exactly what happened that night, but Lois went to meet this guy but he killed her and somehow Clark knew about it because he killed the man that night as far as we can tell."

Lois gets this strange feeling in her gut that she knows exactly what happened that night, but how…"The dream!"

Chloe pauses. "The what?"

"The night before this whole thing started I had this dream…" She recounts the dream as best as she can seeing the astonishment growing on the other women's faces. Kara looks close to tears as Lois finishes and Chloe has them running down her face.

"So that's how it happened. It fits with everything we've found out. No wonder Clark went berserk.

"So continuing on, we were all at the farm the next day, Mrs. Kent was home from Washington D.C. and we were having a little get together, when Clark walks through the door. I didn't even notice her body at first, all I saw was Clark. Till the day I die I'll never forget how he looked when he came through that door. His entire body was slumped, his face was haggard and you could see he had been sobbing. But his eyes, his eyes were the worst. They were wild and bloodshot, the anger still blazing within them. He had the look of a man barely keeping himself together. As a matter of fact I've sometimes thought his anger is the only thing that keeps him together.

"It was when Martha gasped that I realized why…that I realized why Clark looked the way he did. I…I…" Chloe can no longer speak through the tears that stream down her face; even after thirty-five years the memory of her best friend walking into his house with her cousin's body still haunts her.

Kara reaches over and rests her hand on Chloe's shoulder, tears in her eyes as well. She starts to take over the story but Chloe stops her. "I…I can do it Kara…I have to…just…just give me a few minutes."

Lois is overwhelmed with love for her cousin. This might not be the cousin she had know her whole life but she was still her cousin. For the first time Lois realizes that she really must find a way home as soon as this whole business with Kal-El is over, she hated to think of her Chloe look like the one in front of her. And get home she would, no matter what.

Chloe wipes the last tears from her face and continues on a stronger note. "Clark didn't say a word as he carried her body up to his old room, laying her gently on the bed. For a second it looked like he was going to sit down next to her but he suddenly straightened and without a second glance sped away to who knows where. Martha, Kara, and I just stood there in shock not sure what happened. All we could do was sit there next to her and hope Clark would come back and explain. He didn't.

"Sometime between his disappearance and the funeral four days later he must have snuck back in and replaced her body with a replica of kryptonian technology. That is if he really brought her body to the farm or not. This might actually make more sense because he would have wanted to prevent the body from breaking down. Anyways, nobody saw him after that for five years, except I saw him briefly at the funeral.

"I was actually looking around for him, because I just couldn't believe that he would miss her funeral. I only saw him for a few seconds, he left as soon as he saw me looking, but he wasn't even looking at the casket; he was looking, quite hatefully, at Lex. I knew without a doubt at that moment that Lex had caused Lois death, and for the first time I actually believed that Clark was capable of murdering someone. It was also the first time I feared him and what he would do.

"After a few months without so much as a word, we gave up looking for Clark hoping he would eventually return on his own and went about our daily lives as best we could. It wasn't easy. Martha lost both of her children, she considered Lois as much her child as Clark; Lana lost her friend and her first love who was gradually becoming a good friend; Jimmy lost two good friends; Kara lost her friend and her cousin; and I…I lost the cousin who was my sister and the best friend who was my brother.

"The day after the funeral I threw myself into trying to uncover Lex's involvement into Lois' death. My hope was that I would be able to get something that would land Lex in prison and avoid Clark's wrath. Not that I cared if Lex died, only if Clark killed him in cold blood; Lois would never have condoned that even for a second.

"I put so much effort into my investigations I'm surprised I wasn't next on Lex's hit list after Lois. He must have thought that two mysterious deaths in the same family both of whom were reporters with an agenda to take down Lex Luthor, would have caused the police to open an actual investigation. There wasn't an investigation into Lois' death, because while the M.E. had stated her death was suspicious there was no evidence of foul play and with the only person capable of shedding some light on the situation M.I.A. the police decided there was no point in opening an investigation.

"The grief put a huge strain on mine and Jimmy's relationship and after five months we went our separate ways; the break-up was so messy it was two years before we were able to be friends again. By that time I had met and was dating someone else. His name was George Dean, a Metropolis Police Officer I'd met when I was arrested for hacking into LuthorCorp. I was in jail for about a week before Lex dropped the charges, no clue why he did it, and during that time we got to know each other really well.

"Martha literally threw herself into her work in the senate, becoming the most respected politician on the hill. She managed to get several education bills passed, bills that Kal-El based many of his education reforms on, mostly dealing with lowering the cost of tuition. Her eventual goal was to make it so higher education was available to everyone without a person spending half their life paying back student loans. Reporters around the country were flabbergasted when they couldn't find her involved with shady dealings. I think some of their heads exploded at the thought of a truly honest politician.

"Jimmy continued working as a photographer at the Daily Planet; some of his work became pretty well known, not that our editor ever noticed. He and Kara even dated after he and I split. It lasted for exactly one year; he ended it when Kara told him about her 'heritage' on their anniversary.

Here Kara snorts and mumbles, "said he didn't think he could handle having a super powered alien for a girlfriend…stupid ding bat," loud enough for the other two occupants to hear.

Lois and Chloe barely manage to suppress their laugher but are unable to hide their smiles as Chloe continues. "Anyways, it was only three months later that Jimmy finds himself a new girlfriend, the one and only Lucy Lane. If that pairing wasn't odd enough, dating the cousin of a girl he once asked to marry him, what's even more strange is the fact that their still together. They even have a couple kids, a boy and girl who have children of their own now.

"George got Kara a job with the Metropolis P.D. She went through the academy in record time and once in the police quickly climbed the ranks and becoming a highly decorated officer. She told me once she finally felt her powers were doing some good in the world. Isn't that right Kara?"

"Humph."

"Lex continued to run LuthorCorp, illicit dealings and all, without a care in the world. His control of LuthorCorp solidified even more when Lionel died suddenly. The police thought it was suicide but I have no doubt that Lex had something to do; Lionel Luthor would never have thrown himself out a window. Lex killed his father and got away with it, he always did think he was above the law.

"As for Lana, she threw herself into being a mother and I've never seen her so happy; little Alex was her whole world and she would have done anything for him. He was such a sweet boy and I have no doubt that with the right tutelage could have become one of the greatest men in the history of the world, fighting for truth, justice and the American way. If only Clark hadn't let his anger consume him and give up hope on anyone with Luthor blood.

"While we never really got over Lois' death and Clark's disappearance, we were able to live with it and life was going really good. That was when we heard the first reports out of Smallville."

"Jimmy, Lucy, Kara, George, and I were gathered in the bullpen of the Daily Planet just about to leave for our weekly lunches when the breaking news flashed across every single T.V. in the area, heck it was on every single station. I'll never forget the words that were spoken, for they were literally the words that started the end of the world that we know. The anchorwoman said, 'This just in, the Luthor Mansion located just outside of Smallville, Kansas is up in flames and it is believed that Mr. Luthor, his wife, and their young son are all believed to be trapped inside.'

"The five of us gaped at each other unable to believe what we had just heard; Lex had the best security system in existence, well at least the best money could buy. How he of all people could be caught with his pants down was beyond us. We were just beginning to grasp this when another announcement came on the screen.

"This one said that armed militants were attacking Smallville, and that United States Senator Martha Kent had just been gunned down. If that wasn't a big enough shock the description of the militants really pushed us over the edge. According to the news team who had been on their way to the Luthor mansion, the militants were wearing all black fatigues with a strange red symbol on their chests. That in and of itself wasn't that surprising and it wasn't until a still of one of the militants was shown that our breath caught in our throats, well at least in mine and Kara's; it was the symbol of the house of El.

"First Kara and I believed that someone had just seen the symbol and thought it was cool at least that's what we pretended, then they showed the actual footage shot by the news crew. I won't begin to describe the horror and carnage we saw in those few moments, but just as I was about to turn away I saw him. It was only for a few seconds and I hadn't seen him in over five years, but I'd know him even if a thousand years had passed; it was Clark.

"I glanced at Kara out of the corner of the eye and the look on her face was enough to know that she had seen him too. We were silently debating what we should do when Lucy's phone went off. It was the general and he insisted that she and I come to the base he was commanding over in Germany; he didn't like the idea of us being so close to danger, especially after loosing both Aunt Ellen and Lois. To me it sounded like the perfect idea so within the next three hours, after getting some clothes from our apartments, we were driving towards Gotham, since there was no way in the world we were going to be able catch a plane out of Metropolis.

"In just the day it took us to reach base in Germany from Metropolis half the state of Kansas had fallen to these militants who called themselves the Warriors of New Krypton. Clark must have spent the majority of the five years he was away traveling the world building up his army. He was successful too, the original estimates were that he had almost ten hundred thousand soldiers, all of different race and nationality, at his dispense, all of them highly trained with weapons and technology that were obviously Kryptoninan; the United States military forces, despite having more bodies to throw at them, didn't stand a chance against.

"City after city fell to Kal-El and his new regime, many were taken without a fight as the people saw that fighting was futile and the only thing they would accomplish was the deaths of them and their families. Some people even believed in what Kal-El was doing and they joined his army; by the time Washington D.C. was the only free city left in the whole United Sates his troops had swelled to over five hundred thousand soldiers.

"We stayed in Germany for the duration of the invasion with a very unhappy General Sam Lane. He had been ordered to remain in Europe as a second line of defense once the Pentagon realized how serious the situation was.

"The continental United States fell in just under six months. Kara would have confronted Clark long before he led the attack against Washington D.C., but we had no clue where he was; by the time we had heard of an attack he led, mostly against large cities, he had already disappeared. The news media called him 'The Nameless Leader,' lame I know, either Lois and I could have come up with something better, but didn't for obvious reasons.

"The siege against D.C. lasted about two weeks and we discovered he was there about halfway through. Knowing that we might not get another chance to get through to him Kara…"

Listening to Chloe's words brought Kara's memories of that day flooding back into her mind, from the moment she had a solid lead as to where Clark was to the moment she realized there was no way for her or Chloe or really anyone still alive to save him.

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_Kara stands next to General Lane watching the most recent news reports out of the states. For the last several months she had been trying to come to terms with what Clark was doing. Lex's murder she could understand at least within a few days of Lois' death or funeral, not five years after the fact; Clark was a rational being, only prone to hasty actions while angry. But taking over the United States with brute force that was just something she couldn't wrap her mind around no matter how many sides she looked at it from._

_She and Chloe had discussed it at length and the only reason they could come up with was the message that Jor-El had left in Kal-El's spaceship. In his pain over Lois' death he must have taken the words "Rule them with strength" to heart. But Kara knew that the words were not as literal as Clark had always believed, for he had never been sent to Earth to control it, but to protect it for in Kryptonian to 'rule with strength' meant to lead by example. _

_The general's voice snapped her out of her musings. "Kara, it looks like the 'Nameless Leader' is in fact leading the assault on D.C."_

_"Huh?"_

_Despite the situation the general can't help but find some humor in Kara's spacing. "'The nameless leader' a.k.a. your cousin, a.k.a. Clark Kent," his humor is replaced by bitterness, "a.k.a. the man my little girl loved with her whole heart and soul? I still have no idea why or even how he could do this, he was just some dumb farm boy." _

_"General, I have no clue why Clark is doing this, but I will find out."_

_"How? Even if he was willing to see you, which I doubt, you couldn't even get back to the states; all planes and ships in and out have been grounded."_

_"Kara, you going?"_

_Both the General and Kara turn as Chloe comes into the room. "I'm on my way." She turns to Sam. "Chloe will answer your questions, but right now I need to go speak to my cousin and hopefully beat some sense into him."_

_Kara walks to the center of the room but glances back at the General. "By the way, sorry about the mess."_

_"Wha…?"_

_Before General Lane can even get one word out, Kara takes off straight through the roof. Speeding across the Atlantic Kara can just hear the two people she's left behind; particularly that of General Lane._

_"Chloe! What in blazes was that?!"_

_"Um, about those questions Kara said you'd have…" Classic Chloe, even with her best friend seeking world conquest she was still…still…her._

_The slight smile slides from her face as she nears Washington D.C. She has to find a way to get through to Clark; her cousin has to realize that this would be the last thing Lois would want him to do._

_Any concerns she might have had about finding Clark without his soldiers spotting him first quickly faded as she heard his voice behind her. _

_"Kara." _

_She stops in midair and turns to face him. "Clark." It comes out in a whisper as he continues flying towards her. _

_He stops just in front of her and before she knows it she has her arms wrapped around his chest hugging him tightly. It was amazing how just that simple action caused all the pain and suffering she'd been feeling the last five years, specifically the last few months, to just leave her body. If only he had realized how much they, she, had needed him after Lois died instead of withdrawing into himself._

_He is obviously surprised as it takes him several seconds before returning the hug, but he breaks it far too soon for her tastes. For the first time since she's learned of his return she is able to study him, and is shocked by what she sees; this is not the cousin she has come to know and love, but a stranger._

_"I'm surprised Kara, I thought you'd come sooner."_

_She pushes aside her shock and focuses on the situation at hand. "I would have, but you moved around so much by the time I heard your last location you'd already left. That and I was afraid that your soldiers would attack me before I could speak with you."_

_"You heard what happened to my mother?"_

_"Yes. I also heard what you did to the soldier who killed her."_

_"Then you should have known that by that act my warriors were informed what would happen to them if they harmed someone I care about."_

_"With everything that's happening, I couldn't be sure of anything. Clark, what in Rao's great name do you think your doing."_

_"What I'm doing? Kara, I'm trying fulfill my father's will and turn this uncivilized world into the paradise Krypton should have been…It's what Lois would have wanted me to do."_

_"Lo...Clark forcing people into submission isn't peace, its tyranny. People have to choose peace for themselves for it to last; peace is an act of love not war." Her voice turns pleading. "Clark, this is the last thing Lois would want you to do, turn away from this path before you destroy yourself… and the world with you."_

_Clark's face hardens. "If your not with me your against me. I want you to be by my side Kara but if you stand in my way I will remove you."_

_"I'll never join you Clark, and I won't let you do this without a fight, even if it costs me my life."_

_"You don't understand me, I could never kill you. Also, my name is Kal-El."_

_"What?!" _

_She doesn't get any farther before she has duck below Clark's fist. He follows up with kick to her side. He hits her with bone crunching force sending her speeding towards the earth. _

_She manages to halt her decent and flies back upwards. Apparently talking didn't solve anything; she has to find another way to stop him. She just hopes she's strong enough._

_She punches him, putting all her strength behind it, but he catches her fist and pulls her arm behind her back. He brings his lips close to her ear and whispers, "I'm sorry Kara, but this is the way it has to be."_

_These words enrage Kara and she spins out of his grasp, punching his face. This time her fist connects and Kal-El is sent flying. Kara speeds after him and kicks him in the chest. He hits the earth with a loud boom, creating a large crater, but is instantly back on his feet._

_Blood runs down his face from a large gash on his upper cheek, making him look even more deranged than before. Kara assumes a guarded stance, hovering just above him. His movements are too fast for even Kara to see and suddenly she is flying backwards this time unable to stop herself, his first hit had done more damage that she had realized. _

_Kal-El does not allow her to hit the ground, but flies around behind her elbowing her in the back. Kara screams in pain but is unable to do anything more and Kal-El delivers several punches to her face and chest. _

_He halts his advance as the sounds of gunfire from the nearby city assault the hearing of both cousins. "It is useless to resist this Kara. This is the last time I will ask; join me."_

_"Never." Her voice is hoarse and pain filled but even that does not stop Kal-El's next action._

_"As you wish." He pulls out a sleek silver gun from one of the pockets of his uniform and aims it at Kara. _

_Too tired to doge the attack, the green energy hits Kara in the center of her chest. Pain beyond anything she has ever experienced erupts in her body and she crashes into the ground. Just before she looses consciousness she sees another figure join her cousin. _

Milton Fine, Brainiac, what have you done to my cousin?

_It is almost a day later that Kara is awoken by a group of soldiers passing by. Painfully, she opens her eyes and crawls into the trees behind her just as the troop comes into the clearing caused by her fall._

_"Are you sure this is the place?" By the markings Kara is able to identify the man as a captain._

_"These are the coordinates the emperor gave us, she must be here." So Kal-El hadn't intended for the blast to kill her; she guesses he really doesn't want her dead. Still she isn't going to submit to him. She knows her plan can very much kill her, but she doesn't care. Drowning in the sea is better that being help captive by her delusional cousin. _

_The captain speaks again. "Spread out, find her. Remember, the emperor has commanded she be taken alive no matter what the cost."_

_Knowing it was mere seconds before the solders notice her, Kara does the only thing she can; ignoring her pain and fatigue she jumps into the sky and heads back towards Germany._

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As Kara comes back to the situation in the car's cabin she realizes Chloe is nearing the end of her story.

"After the United States fell it was only a matter of time before the rest of the world followed; two years give or take a few months.

"After Kara had come back, bruised and bloody, Uncle Sam realized the hopelessness of the situation. He actually formed the first underground resistance group and sent messages to everyone he could to do the same. Most didn't believe him, thinking if they combined their efforts they could stop the Warriors of New Krypton, but there were some who did, not many, but some.

"And so we've been waiting, waiting for the perfect moment to strike, the moment when we could finally unite against New Krypton and bring back Earth."

As Chloe finishes her story the silence rings throughout the cab. So that was it, Lois had answers to all her questions. Answers she's not sure she really wanted.

**Now you guy's didn't actually think I would tell you why Lois was sent to the alternate world (yes I do know how and why she's there), but, hey, at least you have all the answers to your questions about it. If you don't ask in your review and I'll either answer them directly or not respond which is your clue that it will be answered later in the story. Also please tell me if I'm completly horrible at writting fighting scenes, but go easy as it is my first attempt. Fortunalty this is the last explanitory chapter, at least till the end, do not, however, quote me on this since even I'm not entirely sure where this story will take me.**

**Just a little dorky thing I decided to put in here (I'm a dork deal with it), Lois' ID# does spell something and you guys'll get a surprise if someone can figure out what it says (It really shouldn't be that hard as any clue I give will make it ridiculosly easy).**

**Also for those who have a problem with how I had Clark reveal his powers to Lois, know that I'm not too happy about it myself, I was just wanted her to know before the whole event started so I didn't have to worry about Lana/Kara/Chloe explaining later in the story as I've always felt that Clark should tell her himself, either before or just after they get into a relationship or she figures it out on her own, either before or just after they get into a relationship, (either those or I was just feeling lazy) but that's my opinion. Also my humor is my own, I think that with a story that is this angsty in nature dorky humor is needed to lighten things up. Don't like what I do with the story tell me and I'll consider changing it but only if I want to. It is still my story. **

**P.S. good chapter and/or update does not constitute a review**


	13. Chapter 13

The day clerk for the Smallville Bus Terminal looked up as a small man stepped up to him. Already looking forward to going home to his family, a nice home cooked meal, and maybe some _alone_ time with his wife after the kids were in bed. He fixed a false, cheery smile on his face.

"Hello Sir, how may I help you?" Even his voice sounded falsely cheery.

The stranger regarded him for a moment; the clerk could practically see him calculating what he wanted, there was a flicker in his eye and for one unexplainable moment the clerk feared for his life, but the flicker was gone as soon as it appeared. He dismissed it thinking he must be imaging things.

"I need information. I want to know who this man is." His voice was as forgettable as everything else about him.

The clerk glanced down at the portable computer and the picture shown on the screen. His mind reeled at the image; he knew the man, that wasn't surprising, but what was, was he was at the bus terminal with a woman he'd never seen before.

He let the false cheeriness fade from his voice, no longer wanting this man anywhere near him.

"How did you get this picture? This was taken from one of the terminals camera and I can guarantee that you don't have the authority to access them."

Up until this point the security guard, who'd been sitting on the other side of the room, had been only half paying attention to the men, but these words made him take action. This was a small town's bus terminal where nothing happened and being a security guard was highly boring so he jumped at the chance for a little action.

He walked around the counter and placed his hand on his arm. "I'm sorry sir, but you're going to have to come with me."

Neither of the other men saw him move. One second the security guard's hand was on the man's shoulder the next he was lying unconscious halfway across the room a dark bruise already forming at the base of his neck.

Before the clerk could even think about sounding an alarm, he found the man's hand wrapped around his throat constricting his breathing.

"I'm going to let you go but the instant you try to run, I will kill you and just take the information I need."

He removed his hand and the clerk instinctively reached up to rub his neck.

"Sir, I'm afraid you're going to have to kill me for I cannot and will not betray this man." The clerk was feeling brave giving his life for his friend, he seemed to remember something in the bible about that, but all thoughts about a reward in heaven soon left him at the look in the man's eye.

He hadn't wanted to do this, but it's so much harder to hide mysterious disappearances in small towns than in the big cities.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a thin black wallet and showed the inside to the clerk. The clerk feels his knees go weak at the sight of the contents.

"Now do you want to tell me?"

No longer fearing for just his own life but for those of his wife and children as well he doesn't hesitate.

"His name is Pete Ross. He and his son live at the old Kent Farm just outside of town."

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Kal-El stared blankly at the man on the other side of the glass, Ryer and Lara standing on either side. The man is naked, shacked to a metal chair, blood, dry in some areas and oozing in others covering most of his body.

He addresses his son. "He hasn't been fed in five days, has received very little water, and been subjected to every kind of torture you can think of yet he still hasn't told you anything? Tough guy. "

Ryer allowed himself an annoyed yet humor filled look to cross his face as he corrected his father. "Oh he's told us stuff, only what is was would make Governor Rollings blush."

"That bad?"

"Let's just say he had _me_ blushing at points."

The emperor regards his daughter out of the corner of his eye; for her to blush at vulgarities it must have been bad, she was her mother's daughter in that regard. He'd always told Lois that it was genetic. A brief surge of pride courses through his body; pride for his daughter and pride knowing that Lois would be proud of the things he'd accomplished.

But all too soon the familiar wash of anger that always accompanied thinking of his late lover, brought him back to the situation at hand. This was a great world he had created but it was men like the one in front of him that continued to make true peace unattainable; a peace where no one would ever again feel the pain of loosing the one who meant most to them.

"Then let us see how he responds to my persuasion."

The prisoner wearily glanced up as Kal-El enters the room. The look of utter fear that flashes across the man's face combining with the pain gives the emperor a sense of pleasure; even defiant this man knew he was in even worse trouble than before.

Kal-El walked around to the back of the chair and lifting the head clap into place making it so the prisoner couldn't move a muscle. The fear coming off of his was practically palpable. The clamp secure Kal-El walked slightly forward placing himself just barely in the man's sight so he could only see a blur; a frightening, large, black blur.

"When you first joined us, my children offered you riches beyond your imagination. You could have lived in the lap of luxury, you and your family, and all you had to do was merely tell us one little thing, the name of you rebelions new leader. I'm here to re-extend that offer. Tell me who the rebels' new leader is and you will live like a king, never again having a care in the world. How does that sound?"

"Go to hell you #E# &(& &#"

"My, my, Lara wasn't kidding when she said you knew a lot of vulgar words. You could've make a sailor blush with that mouth of yours. I had wanted to end this quickly yet you insist on forcing my hand."

Moving to where the prisoner could clearly see him Kal-El removes a silver rod about six inches long from inside his jacket holding it in front of the man's face.

"Do you know what this is? ... No? ... It's a clever little device I designed many years ago."

He pressed it against the prisoner's hand and pushed a hidden button activating the device. The man couldn't contain the scream that erupts from his throat, every fiber in his body feeling like its on fire; if not for the shackles he would have been withering in agony. The device was only activated for a few seconds, but to the prisoner it felt like ten lifetimes.

As Kal-El removed the device the man's slumps as much as he can into the chair, his body completely drained. Kal-El gives a sinister smile.

"Wonderful isn't it? The human body is an amazing thing, everything separate yet interlinked at the same time." He leaned forward, his hands over the prisoner's arms and their faces inches apart.

"The design is so flawless I discovered to inflict indescribable amounts of pain without damaging a single hair."

If possible the fear in the prisoner's face increased ten fold. Again Kal-El smiled, his voice reflecting the sinister look in his eyes. "Now let us begin."

Three hours later Kal-El left the chamber and rejoined his children. His face darkened at the looks on their faces. "What's wrong with the two of you?"

The twins looked slightly green; they had both seen and performed torture, though never anything like that. From deep within themselves arose the feeling that what they had just witnessed their father do was wrong, but so great was their faith in him and their desire to prove themselves to him that they pushed it back down.

"Nothing. It's just that…that what you did was amazing."

Ryer was quick to mirror his sister. "If we had known about that device we'd have had that information days ago."

The emperor regarded them silently for a moment before speaking. "I gave you a chance and considering who you were interrogating you did well. He was a tough one, even after all the two of you had put him through he still lasted three hours. The longest any other lasted was twenty minutes and that was when they were in perfect health."

The twins swelled with pride at their father's words; they'd always know they had his love, but his approval had to be earned and they just had.

"Now that we know that Kara is indeed alive and leading these united rebels we can move forward with our planning."

"We're not going to attack them?"

"No Lara, we're not. The fact that we've even heard of their troop movements means Kara is getting ready to launch her own assault; never be the attacker when you can be the defender."

As their father turned to leave the area the twins made eye contact and had a silent debate. They came to a quick conclusion that the favorite twin should ask the question they'd been burning to ask since the prisoner had said the name and seen their father's reaction to it.

"Dad?" Lara's voice was hesitant, she really didn't want to loose the approval she had just gained.

The emperor stops but doesn't turn around. Taking it as a motion to continue, she continues. "Who's Chloe?"

For several moments Kal-El did nothing and the twins fear mounted. Without warning he turns around and his children are literally knocked back a step from the look of pain that crosses their father's face. "She was the cousin of a woman I used to know. I was closer to the two of them than anyone else alive."

He swept from the room before the twins could ask him anything else, leaving them standing dumbfounded and full of questions. The two turned to face each other again and knew they would get nothing else out of their father. They would just have to find someone else to ask.

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The rest of the several hour drive passed in complete silence. For once Lois doesn't complain about it as she'd been too busy thinking about everything she'd learned.

"So one last question; I've noticed that there doesn't seem to be any dress code. I'd have thought that it would be one of the first things Kal-El would have implemented, being raised in a highly moral family and all."

The gambit works, and the two blond women burst into laughter. It's finally Kara who manages to speak while Chloe continues to laugh.

"It's actually Lois' fault he hasn't done that yet. All those times she teased him about his plaid shirts and overall fashion sense, even after they started dating, got him to decide that a person should wear what they want and no one should be able to tell them otherwise. Its one of the few Clark Kent ideals that still lives inside Kal-El."

A loud beeping comes from one of the monitors on the dashboard and Chloe spins her chair around to look at it. "Looks like we're finally here. Ready to meet the rest of the family?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, lead the way alternate cuz."

"That was really pathetic Lo."

"Well excuse me if my humor isn't up to par right this moment."

Kara smiles silently shakes her head as the two cousins from alternate realities continue their argument, trying her hardest to block their words from her mind. It had been far too long since she'd heard this and already it was giving her a headache. But, _Rao_ she had missed having Lois around, though if everything went according to plan that mistake would soon be rectified.

**So no one wanted to try and figure out what Lois' ID number spelled? Come on it wasn't that hard, or was my author's note just so long that no one read it? Oh, well its no big deal and if no one wants to guess I'll just tell you next chapter, but I'd still like you to guess.**

**I'm starting to write another story that will be based in the real universe and am wanting to know what you would like to see Lois/Lois & Clark investigate both in Smallville and in the future in Metropolis when both are ace reporters. I have some idea's of my own, but I want to know what you guys would like to see.**

**And thanks to MysticWolf1 for being willing to beta my story for me. You Rock!**


	14. Chapter 14

**_A creepy laugh fills the hallway, but our daring author continues through the door unheeded. She walks past all the strange and unseemly instruments to the table lying in the center of the room. She takes one look at it and rushes forward grabbing up the object in her arms, giving it a tight squeeze. She turns to leave, but before stepping back out through the door, turns her head. "Thanks a ton Frank for reviving my motivation, I thought it was done for. If it ever dies again, I'll make sure I bring it back."_**

Lois admired the scene in front of her through the front windshield of the car. They were parked on the top of a high cliff over looking the ocean. Not one hint of the pollution that had plagued the world's bodies of water for years could be seen in the crystal clear, blue water before them. The setting sun was almost as glorious as the sunset she had watched from Kal-El's office the first night she had been transported into this strange world.

But as she had never been known for her patience and had no interest in watching a sunset when she was more anxious to see the rebel's headquarters, her appreciation for it didn't last long.

"So where's this base we've driven for I don't know how many hours to get to? Or is it really underground?"

Chloe and Kara exchanged a humorous glance at the sarcastic and unbelieving tone during the second part of her statement before Chloe responded. She reached forward and pressed a black button on the underside of the dashboard, completely invisible at a cursory glance. Suddenly a black pole rose from the ground with a keypad placed on the top outside the driver's side window and Chloe reached out and typed in a code so fast that Lois had no hope of remembering it. Silently the two sides of a trap door opened in front of the car and a platform just large enough to fit the car emerged.

"You were saying something Lois?" The amusement was clear in Chloe's tone as she drove the car onto the platform, wheel restraints locking the car into place, and the lift started its journey down.

"Wow, Ryer wasn't kidding when he called you people the underground, and here I'd been thinking it was one of those wives tales that gets passed around so much that people start to believe it."

"It wasn't easy building this facility, and you'll see why shortly, but there's so many more places you can build underground than on the surface. This particular one is something that Kal-El would never dream us capable of building, and he would have been right except for the fact that we have Kara's abilities to help us."

"See Lois, when Kal-El beat me he was trying his best not to kill me, but when his soldiers, and then he himself couldn't find my body he believed he had; and that a wild animal had eaten my remains or something. Not the most logical assumption on his part, but the easiest for him to accept."

Kara's voice becomes a mere whisper that Lois has to strain to hear. "Sometimes I think he wanted me to stop him, that deep down he knew Lois would never have approved of this."

As suddenly as her voice changed it went back to normal, but not without letting out a sigh first, "But he's long moved past thinking he was wrong, he's now firmly convinced that Lois would be proud of what he's done. Anyways, I drew the plans for this base myself then set to work on building it. It's so much more advanced than anything humans could do on their own that Kal-El hasn't even considered this possibility."

"What do you mean?" Lois didn't think that she'd ever been this curious about anything, and there had been some real mysteries she'd been excited to investigate in her life.

The lift suddenly stopped moving, and Chloe didn't take control of the car.

It started moving forward. She did turn on the headlights and Lois could see a seemingly endless tunnel, wide enough for two of these cars, stretching out before them. There must have been some contraption like those moving sidewalks she'd seen in a couple airports.

"How long did this take you, Kara? Just the tunnel getting you there would be a several year job for a construction crew."

"That's true, but you forget that I have powers that most humans can merely dream of. And actually I only made the tunnels, the door covering the elevator shaft, and the basic structure of the base. Everything else was added over time, with hundreds of people working together. But as I said I did draw the plans and then supervised the construction."

"If you were only able to build this base because of your Kyptonian powers, how did other rebel groups survive extinction?"

Chloe took the ball for this one. "Most of the surviving rebel groups were those people who listened to Uncle Sam when he told them to retreat. So while Kal-El was solidifying his control over the world, they were doing the same thing we were and building bases; some in mountain ranges, some under the desert sands, but all of them places that were hard to scope out.

"By the time Kal-El even found out there were pockets of resistance, they had hidden themselves so well it was hard to find them. So instead of expending a whole bunch of man power he created traps, made certain areas seem defenseless in order to smoke them out.

"Unfortunately many of the groups did, and in the first few years all of the biggest rebel groups were taken out because they thought they foolishly thought they could recapture some cities. Except for our base, only small pockets of resistance have survived. Sure they make raids, but it's mostly for supplies.

"We could continue on like this for decades yet, but Kal-El has essentially cemented his control over the world and has built up enough man power to wipe all of the resistance out. It was Lana who warned us of his plans, and so we set out to join all the separate groups together. Now everything is heading towards the final showdown, if we win freedom will be restored, if Kal-El wins there won't be anyone left to stop him."

Chloe stops leaving the feeling that her final statement is open-ended for Lois to pledge her support, but Lois is at loss of what to say, needing to think things over. Fortunately, she's spared the necessity of an immediate decision when the car finally enters a large hanger, with hundreds of vehicles of all sizes.

Kara and Chloe, knowing that Lois has a lot to think about and unwilling to hope that she will accept their offer, step out of the car to stretch their stiff muscles. Lois is quick to follow their example.

The three are completely silent as Lois follows the other two towards the door at the end of the hanger. They passed several open topped cars that were obviously meant to get around the base, but they wordlessly agreed that after so long sitting down, walking would be much more comfortable.

The hanger was even bigger than what it had seemed at first glance and it took several more minutes before the three reached the doorway. Once they were closer to the wall Lois saw that there were actually two doors set side by side. Chloe led the way into the left door and it opened automatically into an elevator.

A calm yet warm sounding and completely human sounding male voice floated throughout the compartment, and Lois was instantly reminded of those Star Trek episodes she would die before admitting she'd ever watched. "Would all occupants please state their name and number."

"Chloe Sullivan, alpha trox 5998371."

"And Kara Zor-El, alpha kox 7355826 escorting guest Selia Powelski 564726325275."

"Authorization accepted, what floor would you like?"

"Top floor, full view."

"As you wish Ms. Sullivan."

As the lift started to move Lois looked at each of the other two in turn a sly smile spreading across her face. "Polite computer you guys have there, especially one that's, I'm assuming, supposed to stop unauthorized access. If I didn't know that was a computer, I'd think that it was an actual man; one I'd have no problem sharing a not so small make out session with."

The other two occupants shifted their feet slightly looking sheepish. "It's all Kara's fault."

"What? Hey! It is not."

"Yes it is, you were the one who said that all the female voices you'd heard creeped you out," Chloe insisted.

If possible Kara face became even more sheepish. "Well, they were creepy. They all sounded like they were trying to seduce you. And as I recall you have no problem with it considering every year we alternate who picks the new voice and in the last twenty-eight years we've never had a female voice."

"Oookay lets just get back on tract here," Chloe sheepishly acknowledged.

By the end of the blonds' exchange Lois' sly smile had transformed to a full on grin that didn't disappear even after the lift doors opened a few moments later.

On the other side of that door Lois had expected some sort of well, something, but all she saw was another tunnel. Though it did have one obvious distinction to the tunnels and hanger she had been in minutes before; this tunnel was made of some kind of metal, while the others were solid rock.

Suddenly the two in front of her stopped and Lois, who had been looking at the walls on either side of her, ran into them as they turned around to face her. Confused she looked up, but the question she had been thinking died before it had ever really formed, for she already had her answer.

The sight before her was unlike anything she had ever seen before and in all her years as an army brat combined with her short time in this world she had seen quite a lot of things. Ever since she'd heard about the rebels she'd been imagining the bases looking like something out of Star Wars or one of the bunkers the general had shown her over the years. The first few things she'd seen had reaffirmed that believe, but the sight before her blew all of those thoughts out of the water.

The tunnel had opened up onto a patio barely large enough to hold four or five people. It was clearly the highest point on the base, if indeed it could be called a base, and even then the ceiling was still far above them.

To Lois it looked more like underground city. The outer structure was cylinder in shape with a large dome making up the ceiling, the diameter of the whole thing looked to be about five miles from any point along the walls and what looked like one and a half miles in height at the very center of the dome. Starting in the center and extending to about half a mile away from the walls was a sprawling city. The buildings looked like they were mostly skyscrapers and she could see no individual houses. The lights were shining brightly in the distance

Lois was having a hard time believing she was underground, yet she knew she was. She had seen the rock walls pass by as the car had moved further and further under the earth's surface. It wasn't the city that caused her to question this belief but what surrounded the city. It was farmland, and except where it was split by four roads, it spanned the entire area from where the city ended and the walls began. It should not have been possible underground so far from the sun yet there it was.

Chloe moved up beside her, placing her hand on Lois' back. "Its night time, you should see the place during the day, now that is a sight to behold."

Lois tries several times to speak but no words would form, eventually she manages to stutter, "Ho…ho…how is…is this possible?"

"Like I said earlier, none of this would have been possible without Kara and her knowledge of Kryptonian technology. When Clark's heart became corrupted and he became Kal-El his Fortress of Solitude sealed itself from him, meaning the memory of his biological father refused to speak with him, so he left and has never returned as far as we know.

"Kara was able to get up there and Jor-El spoke to her giving her the tools and knowledge to create a safe haven. No human technologies can detect this place, not even today's ones, and there's something, we're not sure what, but something that prevents a Kryptonian from seeing it with their powers," Chloe explained.

"That's all well and good, Chloe, but how do you guys have a farm?"

"That's part of the technology Jor-El gave us, this place is like a biosphere. We have a sun that gives off heat, and light, rain, wind, the whole enchilada. It's all strictly controlled mind you, but it's still all there."

"What is it like to live here?"

Kara walks up to Lois' other side. "What do you mean what is it like? Its like living in every other city, there are movies and games. In the center of the city there's a large park with a small amusement park, a play ground, and sports fields. There are at least two swimming pools in every apartment building. People have every kind of job imaginable; from lawyers to farmers. The children attend schools from an elementary to university level.

"Sure we can't get everything we need from just in here, but that's when we make trips to the surface and buy or trade for the various materials we need. Because we rely on each other for survival there's less crime and people try harder to work together. The system isn't perfect but then name one that is.

"Now come on let's get you settled down to where you'll be staying, it's late and you've had a long day. Chloe and I just wanted to show you this before you saw anything else."

"Just one last question, where are we geographically?" Lois quieried

"About a hundred miles off the eastern coast of what used to be the state of North Carolina."

"We're under water?!"

"Yep, the ocean's surface makes up over ninety percent of the earths crust and even know Kal-El's scientists have studied only about twenty percent of it and that's upward of the about three percent studied thirty years ago. Besides from up above all this dome looks like is an underground mountain, it's not as smooth on the other side.

"I designed it this way so when we finally restore order to the above world, this city can rise, so all our work isn't just abandoned. But now it really is late and we all need to get some sleep."

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Johnathan bounced down the stairs having heard the knock at the door. He father had invited their neighbors over for dinner so he wasted no time in opening the door. "Its about time, we were starting to think…."

It was not the neighbors standing out on the patio, but a man he had never seen before. He gave a slight smile to the boy.

"So you must be Johnathan. So tell me boy, is your father around?"

**If any of you guys have questions about how life on the base works that I haven't answered just put it into a review and I'll try to work it into the story. If I don't I'll just put the answer in one of these author notes.**

**Ok, so I know of at least one person who figured out what Lois' ID number spelled and while I was going to give people at least one more chapter to figure it out, I've changed my mind. It spelled Lois and Clark (I told you I'm a dork), though I am curious that now that people know what it spells if they can figure out how I came by those numbers.**

**Hopefully my next chapter won't be so long in coming. TTFN**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello Boys (and Girls) I'm BBBAAAAAACCCCCKKKKK!!**

Pete had to resist jumping up and shouting while doing a little jig; finally after all the headaches and nightmares, oh and not to mention the suppressing of his desire to throw his computer out the nearest window along with long sessions of bashing his head against the nearest hard surface, the blasted thing was finally fixed; hopefully for good this time.

His stupid computer had crashed two different times in the last three months and he was almost positive that the same virus was to blame. The first time his computer tech had told him that the hard drive would have to be wiped clean to get rid of the virus. So Pete had transferred all the important files to an external memory, including a fictional story he'd been working on; or so he'd thought.

As it turned out there had been some sort of glitch, not even the threat of death would get him to admit that the glitch had been user error, and had lost everything. Loosing most of the files hadn't been that big of deal; the work documents he hadn't needed any longer; the music wouldn't be that hard to reload, just time consuming; and he had plenty of pictures scattered around the house. But the bummer was that he had been just a few paragraphs away from finishing the next chapter in his story and the whole chapter had been completely lost; fortunately the rest of his story had already been transferred to several other storage places.

That actually hadn't been too bad; in fact the loss of his latest chapter might even have been a blessing considering as he re-wrote he found it to be better than the original draft and he'd only lost his computer for a handful of days. The problem was that it had happened again, and this last time he'd lost the use of his computer for over a month.

He had decided he didn't want to go to his usual computer tech, the first time the guy had been really, really mad and had also told his wife, who had then told Pete, that the guy had thought Pete had accidentally downloaded the virus and turned off his virus protection, which wasn't what happened. So Pete had decided to do it himself, which had been the main source of his frustration. He'd contacted his computer maker's tech support, and they had him run a test which showed that his hard drive was fried and needed replacing immediately.

That tech support person had been amazing; he'd gotten the new hard drive the very next day along with all his operating system disks and had the hard drive installed within ten minutes of it arriving. Again not even the threat of death would get him to admit that most of that time was spent trying to figure out how to get the old hard drive out before realizing that it was screwed into the computer.

The problem, and headache, had really arisen when he'd tried to upload the software; he'd know instantly he was over his head, but hadn't wanted to admit defeat and go to his usual tech guy. Instead he went back to the manufacture's tech support; he talked to two different people, neither of them the first person unfortunately, and they were a total bust. Both just directed him to webpage that gave instructions…that had made absolutely no sense. So in the end he had to go to his usual tech guy, and he hadn't disappointed. The tech guy blew a gasket several times before getting everything all figured out over the course of a few days. But in the end the computer was fixed and hopefully it would never happen again.

He didn't know what he would do if it happened again, probably blow a gasket himself. He was already wishing that computer virus creators got harsher punishments under the law, and they were given life in prison without a trial. The thought of what he would love to do to those people was quite cathartic.

Pete was distracted from his more than a little violent day dream by a quiet knock at the door and his son's feet racing thorough the hallway to answer. Pete grit his teeth when the boy opened the door without inquiring about who was on the other side; sure it was just the Anderson's, the elderly couple had moved into Lana Lang's old house and were like grandparents to Johnny, he even called them grandma and grandpa, but it was the principal of the matter. Johnny knew better than to just open the door before finding out whom it was, what if one of these times he was expecting someone and it turned out to be someone else; someone dangerous?

It was then that he heard the voice from the open door, "So you must be Johnathan. So tell me boy, is your father around?"

Pete raced to the door almost knocking over the computer he was just celebrating its restoration. Whoever this was he wasn't one of the Andersons, he wasn't even someone that Pete knew remotely. And in today's world that was cause for alarm, especially when Pete could hear a slight menacing quality to the voice.

Reaching the door, Pete instantly pulled his son behind him while putting one hand on the door to slam in a second if need be. Not bothering with pleasantries, for despite his bland appearance there was something that screamed, "I'm dangerous," he asked brusquely, "Who are you and what do you want?"

The man before him didn't answer. Pete saw the man's hand flash and moved to close the door, but he was too slow. In an instant he felt something prick his neck and then nothing.

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Ross fell to the floor unconscious and his son who'd been standing behind him froze long enough that the next tranquilizer got the boy before he could even begin to think to run.

The assassin smiled slightly to himself, both had fallen inside the house so if there had been anyone watching, however unlikely, they wouldn't suspect a thing; they would just think that the two had gone inside the house after inviting him in. Walking in he roughly pushed Ross' body aside enough to close the door and looked around.

What he saw very nearly scared him; the place looked like a home, like people actually liked coming here. It was nauseating and he couldn't fathom why someone would live in a place like that. Not only was the man a traitor, but he lived in a place that no one in his right mind would enter. It was only using the years of practice he'd had mastering his self control that he managed to push aside his discuss and get to work.

He quickly dragged the unconscious father and son into the living room. Not seeing anything useful to tie Ross to while he worked, he walked into the kitchen and found a hard wood chair with arm rests at the head of the kitchen table.

He dragged the chair into the center of the living room and roughly heaved Ross into the chair. Using a thin string that was as strong as ten steel cables he quickly tied Ross' wrists to the arm rests, ankles to the chair legs, and chest to the back of the chair. Only after triple checking the binding did he move to the boy.

Not being nearly as heartless as people believed him to be, those who knew him often wondered if he even had a heart, the assassin placed the boy on the couch with a pillow under his head. After making sure the boy would roll over and fall off he tightly tied the boy's hands and feet together and placed a gag in his mouth.

The assassin again quickly checked the bindings on both Ross' before setting out to complete his purpose in the abomination of a house.

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Several hours later the assassin was no closer to discovering the information he wanted before he'd started. He'd known that by now Ross would have moved the girl someplace else, a simpleton would have known to do that, but he'd been so sure that the man would have had some sort of information hidden in the house that showed where she went. From what he'd learned Ross seemed like the kind of man who would do that, and it really irked the assassin when he got something wrong. It was time to learn what he could from Ross himself.

Squatting down next to the still unconscious man, the assassin pulled from his coat a syringe with the antidote to the tranquilizer he'd used earlier. The tranq he'd used was of a kind developed just a few years ago. This formula didn't wear off, and the victim would remain unconscious until the antidote was administered.

Not bothering to be gentle the assassin jammed the needle into Ross' neck and pushed down the plunger. Almost as quickly as Ross had fallen unconscious he jerked awake and looked around in confusion.

"Hello Mr. Ross. How do you feel?" the assassin asked with a touch of sarcasm.

Ross' head jerked to the side to peer at his captor. Not bothering to answer the question he fired off a few of his own. "Who are you? What do you want? Where's my son?"

"Tisk tisk Mr. Ross. Not that I have any personal experience, but I've heard that a loving father's concern is for his child first, and that was your third question; so I'll answer that one first."

The assassin smiled tightly at the look of confusion on Ross' face. "Oh yes, I'm going to answer your questions, if only because I know you won't like the answers. In answer to that last question, just turn you head to the right and you'll see that he's sleeping peacefully on the couch. The answer to your second question is I want to ask you a few questions. Questions that would be in your, and your son's, best interest to answer truthfully.

"Now, where…"

"Wait, you didn't answer my first question."

The assassin looked at Ross like he was crazy; the man must be very brave or very stupid. The assassin bent over placing his hands over Ross' arms and pushed down with all his weight and growled menacingly, "It would also be in your best interest to not interrupt me when I'm talking."

He pushed his weight off causing Ross to wince, that was going to leave a mark; possibly more than one. "But you're right I did promise you I would answer your questions. And maybe knowing who I am can convince you to open up to me faster."

Reaching into his pocket, the assassin pulled out the same thin black wallet he'd shown the bus terminal clerk and showed the contents to Ross. He loved this part, when he was actually in a position to show people who he really was that is, they all reacted in the same way and Ross didn't disappoint. The man's face when pale and beads of sweat broke out on his forehead; the assassin knew that Ross finally realized the kind of trouble he was in.

"Read it too me."

Ross' voice was tight as he complied with the command. "Agent Vince Carter, New Krypton Intelligence. So your one of the imperial goons with the power to do just about anything and ignore all laws even those few remaining ones that protect peoples rights."

Carter's hand flew out smacking Ross across the face. "I find your assessment insulting… I'm not just 'one of' the NKI; I'm the head of the NKI. Think about that while I ask you my questions."

If it was possible Ross' face had gone even paler; not that Carter was surprised. If there was one thing the people of New Krypton feared more than the New Krypton law enforcement, it was the New Krypton Intelligence. While the NKLE had strict rules it had to follow, and its soldiers were pretty much mere drones, the agents of the NKI had few if any rules they had to play by. The agents themselves answered to only three people, the head of their organization, the Emperor's chief advisor Brainiac, and the Emperor himself. The head of the NKI answered to only two, Braniac and the Emperor; however, the emperor usually left such business to Braniac and very few agents ever received their orders from or reported directly to him.

They were essentially what the Gestapo had been during Adolph Hitler's third Reich, the not so secret, secret police. They did the jobs that the higher ups would never trust to the regular law enforcement; basically meaning assassination of a politician the emperor no longer liked or trusted, tracking down suspected rebels. They might have worked in secret but they left a trail of death, destruction, and devastated families in their wake.

While all of the NKI agents were the best of the best, mostly those men and women who went into the NKLE training facility and showed a high tendency for intelligent thought, ability to master all kind of weapons, and sadistic thoughts and actions, the head of the NKI was the best of even that elite group. He or she only went out in the most extreme of circumstances. Carter knew that if he had been sent out it was something major and would do everything in his considerable power make sure he found his target.

"Now that we're on the same page, Mr. Ross, how about we get to my questions?"

"I won't tell you anything, no matter what you do to me." Ross practically shouted his statement in a pitiful attempt at bravado.

But his bravery only brought another hit from Carter, except this time instead of an open palm his face met with a closed fist. The crack of his cheek bone was heard throughout the room.

"While your brief attempt at bravery is commendable, you would do best to remember that you're not the only person whose life you have to have to worry about." While speaking Carter had turned to stare where Johnathan was still lying unconscious on the couch.

Ross gulped but didn't back down. "What does it matter, you're just going to kill both of us anyways when you're done."

The comment brought another strike from Carter's fist striking Ross in the ribs this time. Again the sound of breaking bones could be heard.

Keeping his fist planted in Ross' chest, Carter leaned forward and said directly into Ross' ear, "Actually, I haven't decided what to do with you. On the one hand you're nothing but a traitor and your boy the son of a traitor and I usually wouldn't hesitate to end either of your lives. But on the other hand, I've done some research on you and discovered that you were once friends with our beloved emperor. And while I'm sure our emperor wouldn't object to your death, he can be so fickle about these sorts of things.

"I can, however, leave you broken and bloody just long as I leave you alive, and not get into any sort of trouble." Carter stepped back and bent down next to the couch, reaching out to caress the sleeping boy's face. "Of course, this only applies to you. I doubt the emperor has any inkling about the fact that you have a son, and it would be so very easy to kill him and erase all records of him.

So what do you say Mr. Ross? You tell me what I want to know and I leave your son alive." He turned back towards Ross', sadistic smile on his face.

Ross' whole body had sagged, looking like the perfect picture of utter defeat. He muttered something unintelligible. This time Carter struck with his foot, kicking the chair backwards. Unable to brace himself Ross' head slammed against the hard floor, but not hard enough to knock him out.

Carter crouched next to the fallen chair. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite hear you. What did you say?"

"I said I'll tell you what you want to know, just don't hurt my son." His voice was filled with pain, both because of his physical pain and the pain of knowing he was about to betray his friends.

"Good. Now, who was that woman who you picked up from the bus station?" Carter righted the chair as he spoke.

"I'd never met her before then, I was only told her name, Selia Powelski, and where and when to pick her up." It wasn't exactly a lie, Kara and Chloe really hadn't told him what her name was; just that she was an old friend.

"Why would you do something you must have known was so illegal?"

"The people who'd asked me to do this are old friends, and I owe them a great deal. I guess I just didn't see the harm in it."

"Hopefully now you see how wrong you were. Who are these friends?"

"Their names are Chloe Sullivan and Kara Kent. Chloe was my best friend back in high school and Kara is the cousin of another close friend of me."

"I know those names. Both are on a list of wanted rebels. Did you know this?"

"Yes, but as I said I owe them a lot. I had thought that they were just getting the girl to safety. I didn't think it would harm anything, even if it was against the law." Now that was stretching the truth a little; but only a little. While he knew most of Kara and Chloe's plan he didn't know what part they wanted Lois to play.

"Still, that was really foolish. Now, where did they go?"

"I can only assume they're taking her to one of their bases. I don't know where, they've never told me."

"Thank you Mr. Ross, I just have one more question. Do you swear on your son's life that you've told me the truth?"

Ross looked up, directly into Carter's eyes and said with all seriousness, "I swear, all I've told you is the truth?"

Smiling tightly, Carter's hand flashed out one last time striking Ross in the side of the head with the butt of his gun. The man again fell instantly unconscious with what was sure to be a major headache when he awoke.

Moving swiftly, Agent Vince Carter of the NKI untied both of the unconscious males before him, leaving the syringe for the boy's tranquilizer on the living room table, and walked out of the house, closing the door behind him, and stalked back down the dirt driveway to his waiting car.

**I am really, really sorry that this took so long to get out. The first section dealing with Pete's thoughts should convey at least a part of my frustration. But those computer problems are all in the past (hopefully, if not I might scream and really throw my computer out a window) and I should be able to update more frequently, and hopefuly this chapter was worth the wait. I had originally intened for this chapter to be joined with some other aspect (and my in first draft that was erased it had been), but as I rewrote the chapter over and over again, I realized that my original intention didn't really fit with how I'd written the earlier chapters (nor did my second or third attempts). Also, since it had been so long since I'd updated I'd wanted to get the next chapter out as quickly as possible, though even then this chapter was longer than I'd imagined it to be. But that might be becuase of my venting (also so I could explain to you all what happened) about my stupid computer.**

**Again I apolagize for the delay but I guess that since some of you were able to figure out what Lois' ID number spelled and were able to figure out that that I used the key pad of a cell phone I owe you a spoiler. (And now that I really think about it I could have done this in one of my Author's notes) So your spoiler is that yes, Lois and Kal-El will eventually meet face to face, just don't expect it to be all hugs and kisses or coming in the next couple chapters; I still have a ways to go before we get there. Chew on that for a little while.**

**As always suggestions and corrections are welcomed.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Would you guys believe that I find I have more time to write now that I'm BACK in school? **

Chloe gently rubbed her temples; her head feeling like it would explode. After every one of these meetings she'd thought that she'd get used to it, but the mind numbing stupidness of the base administrators got to her every time. The way they acted a person would think that they needed either her or Kara's permission to take a whiz. Actually, now that she thought about it most, if not all of them, had asked her if they could go to the bathroom at one point or another. Several had even raised their hands despite the fact that a few of those times they had been alone in a room working in complete silence.

This meeting was just another example of how idiotic these men and women were. Chloe and Kara had been away from the base four days and had taken a day to recuperate; despite the lack of physical activity thinking about seeing Lois again, actually seeing Lois again, and then recounting to Lois what happened to their world had been very emotionally tiring. Not that Lois' coming wasn't welcome; it was very welcome. She and Kara had been developing their plan for years, figuring out every little detail. There had been just one small, and extremely vital, piece that they hadn't figured out how to do. A piece that Lois would do wonders for.

That wasn't the problem, far from it; having the plan only one final step away from being complete, mainly getting Lois to agree to it, was a huge relief. The annoyance came from the fact that Chloe and Kara being away from their office for a total of five days had left these morons going on like her and Kara being gone was the final sign of the apocalypse.

It made her want to bang her head against a hard surface repeatedly, but that would just make her head hurt even more. She would just have to keep rubbing her temples, and hope they would finish their mindless drabble before too much longer. Part of the reason there were base administrators were so she and Kara didn't have to sign off on every little nuance of running a base as large as this one; but that concept seemed to be lost on these people no matter how many times they were reminded. She wished she were allowed to bang _their _heads against a hard surface, but that wouldn't look too good, her being one of the bosses and all. It was really too bad that she couldn't turn invisible or move so fast that they couldn't see her, not like Kara…

Chloe's hand came away from her face and a light entered her eyes. The administrator speaking, misinterpreting the look on her face, got a new wind and continued his report with gusto, but for once Chloe didn't notice. While she couldn't move so fast as to avoid detection Kara could.

She thought about how easily Kara would be able to zip around the room, pushing each of the administrator's heads into the table with out them even noticing she'd moved; the thought filled her with glee. She quickly wrote a message on her computer terminal and sent it to Kara. After a moment she glanced over at the woman on her right with a sly smile on her face; surely just a little tap on the back of all their heads wouldn't cause any _permanent_ brain damage.

The smile faded as she looked at the content look on her partner's face, it was a look impossible to achieve in these meetings... unless of course the person was _sleeping_. The fuse on Chloe's already short temper flared up, mostly she was mad for not thinking about falling asleep herself, and she slid her foot until she felt the leg of Kara's chair. The light re-entered Chloe's eyes as she kicked the chair as hard as she could without attracting attention. She could barely control her laugh as Kara jerked forward, glancing around frantically.

As a bonus for Chloe, the speaker stopped talking in his surprise. At least for a moment anyways. "Umm… ma'am, are you alright?"

Kara shooting daggers at Chloe with her eyes, at least it wasn't heat vision, answered, "Uh, yeah. I'm fine. Please continue." That last part didn't come out without some grinding of teeth. After all it was his standing up that had put her to sleep in the first place.

She growled slightly as Chloe shot her a smug look and tapped her computer tablet. As Kara continued to glare Chloe's look turned to annoyance and she tapped her tablet again. Seeing that Kara still wasn't getting it the annoyance became exasperation; was denseness wired into the Kryptonian Kent's DNA or something?

Chloe held her hand up as if she was going to sneeze and barely whispered, "Look at your tablet."

Curious, Kara quickly opened the waiting message.

_Do you think that it would be inappropriate for you to zip around and bang every one's head into the table?_

Kara had to actually bite her lip to stop from bursting into laughter.

_Ha ha, probably. But it's sure nice to dream about it._

_No kidding. If I had known that this alliance was going to be one big headache after another I might have listened when Lucy said to screw it._

_I thought Lucy said that in reference to you marrying George?_

_No… well she did but in that instance she said screw him. She did say it about this alliance too._

_Who'd have thought you would actually consider taking advice from your baby cousin?_

_Ha never, but she is Lois' sister so she had to have some bright ideas sometime._

_Who'd have guessed?_

A throat cleared from farther down the table making both blond heads pop back up. The annoying base administrator had finished his report and the other rebel leaders were waiting to start their portion of the meeting.

"I'm sorry, were we disturbing you?" The snobbish, Middle Eastern accented voice could only belong with one person. Both of the head haunchos stifled a groan; it was Goldie Ramah, the rebel leader from the largest of the groups that had operated in the Middle East.

Goldie was a stunningly beautiful woman, with long black hair, black eyes and brown skin she turned the heads of all men, even ones happily married. It wouldn't be a problem except that she knew her beauty gave her power and she wasn't afraid to use it. Technically Goldie's husband was the leader of the main Middle Eastern rebel group, but the man had become bedridden with some sort of sickness some years ago and Goldie had taken over his responsibilities; at least that was the official story. As the wife of the chief, it was she who lead their group while he was unable to do so, but if he died the power would pass to the next highest ranking male. As such it had become the popular theory outside her own group, that she used some form of non lethal poison to keep her husband catatonic.

Anyone who knew her wouldn't hesitate to believe the story either. All a person had to do was meet her to know she desired power and was willing to do anything to get it. It wasn't long after Chloe and Kara had brought the different factions together that she and another rebel leader, Marvin Pearson, had joined forces and formed their own group with the leaders of five of the smaller factions that had been brought in as well.

Marvin and Goldie had thought that they were keeping their group secret from the rest of the alliance and while that was mostly true, the majority of the other leaders just thought the two were having an affair, there wasn't much that happened in Chloe and Kara's base that they didn't know about. They had discovered what the power hungry leaders were up to mere hours after the first meeting of the group had commenced.

While they didn't know the two's exact plan, with Goldie and Pearson's resources it wouldn't be hard for them to learn the identity of who the surveillance equipment belonged to and then use that information to their advantage, it was safe to say that whatever they were planning, it involved gaining Kal-El's power for their own. Not a good thing in either of the woman's books.

Chloe shared a look with Kara, resisting the urge to roll her eyes; did Goldie really think she fooled them? "Not at all. Continue."

With this, Karl Stevens, a tall, heavier set man who led the largest North American rebel group, stood. At first glance, Karl was the last person you would think of as a leader, what with his bushy blond hair and beard, light blue eyes that could dance with humor, and his seemingly light attitude towards serious things, but underneath this teddy bear façade, laid a will as strong as steel.

But it wasn't the same kind of steel as with Goldie, or even Chloe or Kara. In fact, Karl reminded Chloe of a much younger Clark Kent. He had the same sense of right and wrong, seeing the world in black and white. And as the young Clark, he had no desire to lead, only to find that it was thrust upon him. As such, Chloe and Kara trusted him more than any of the other rebel leaders and he, in turn, was their strongest supporter.

For several moments, he reported on the status of their troops and what their spies had discovered inside Metropolis. "The final stages of our preparations are complete. The troops are training hard every day; they are as prepared as they can possibly be. We have also finished determining the routes we think to be the quickest to the palace. There is just one detail that we would like to hash out."

He paused for a moment, and Chloe realized that this was the reason the meeting had been called, at least the rebel leader's part of the meeting. "You have stated many times that you have a plan that will take Kal-El down permanently, but you have never gone into specifics, except that it doesn't involve killing him. This causes us great concern, not only because we don't stand a chance if he enters the battle, but also what might happen in the future.

"Now don't get us wrong, none of us here want to execute a man without a trial but…"

"A trial would be pointless, there isn't anyone in the world that wouldn't find him guilty and sentence him to death. At least not the people who'd actually be involved in the trial." Another rebel leader broke in.

Karl shot the man a halfway dirty look before continuing. "While my colleague may be rude, he has a point, but not the one I'm trying to make. As I was saying we don't want to execute Kal-El without a trial, but there is no guarantee that he wouldn't be able to escape before we could execute him justly. In that event, he could potentially kill millions before we could subdue him again, if we even could.

"In light of that concern, Goldie and Pearson," Chloe saw a small grimace flash across Karl's face as he spoke the names, he didn't like them any more that she did, "have come up with a plan that all of us agree would solve this problem. Goldie?"

Chloe's eyes narrowed as Karl sat back down and Goldie stood, gesturing to someone across the room. An uneasy feeling filled her gut; she wasn't going to like this one little bit.

"My esteemed colleagues, before I tell you my plan may I would ask a question of you, what do we really know about this being who calls himself Kal-El?" More than you do, Chloe wanted to tell her, but remained silent.

Seeing that neither woman was going to answer, Goldie continued. "We know that he is an alien, born on another planet who has god like powers and seemingly no weaknesses. And that is all anyone knows, at least so we thought.

"My father was a brilliant scientist, who was, unfortunately, killed during Kal-El's conquest. He had built a lab in our family home, which location was known only to himself, at least until recently when in a drunken stupor my eldest brother tripped over the knob that triggered the door. Inside we found the project my father had been working on just prior to his death, along with a journal that explained what he was doing.

"The journal started off by saying how he had been contacted by a wealthy, American business man, who told him a fanciful story that the earth was about to be invaded by an alien race, an invasion that only he could prevent. Despite, the wildness of the story my father believed him and started work on devising a way to kill the alien invaders.

"This man's name was Lex Luthor." Chloe fought the urge to look at Kara; suddenly she knew exactly what Goldie's great plan was, and her mind raced to think of a counter argument for it. "You many wonder how we know that Kal-El is part of the alien race that Lex believed sought to take over our planet, but let me point out two things; One, Lex was the first person that Kal-El killed in his conquest and two, it is a crime punishable by death to so much as speak his name. This tells me that Lex knew something that our so called emperor doesn't want people to know."

Goldie finished with a smug look that Chloe wanted to smack right off her face. She thought she had all the answers. While it may be true that Lex had known about the Kryptonians, and that the meteor rocks weakened them, it wasn't why he was killed. Clark killed him because he had killed Lois.

Goldie gestured again, and one of her empty faced lackeys, placed a large black case in front of her and opened it. Instantly, Chloe could feel Kara shrink back into her chair.

In the case there was what appeared to be a modified sniper riffle, with six large darts filled with a green glowing substance.

"According to my father's notes, the darts are filled with a liquid form of a special meteorite that fell to earth in both of the Smallville, Kansas meteor showers. It is this meteor rock that Lex claimed weakened the aliens he had encountered, but they were able to remove it from their presence without suffering any lasting damage. In my father's research, he determined that if the meteor rock was injected straight into the blood stream there wouldn't be anything anyone could do to save one of the alien's life."

As Goldie shot her another smug look and sat down, Chloe decided on what card to play. She stood abruptly and slammed the case closed, Kara's face was starting to look far too pale, exclaiming, "Are you insane?"

Whatever reaction Goldie had expected, it certainly wasn't that, for she replied. "I don't know what you mean."

"You mean to tell me that this is your great plan? You find thirty plus year old research and expect it to still be valid. What if Kal-El has found a cure to that stuff, or what if the aliens Lex had tested the meteor rocks on earlier had some sort of allergy to it, like how some humans are allergic to cats. It does not mean that it'll work on Kal-El

"And lets not forget who commissioned this research, Lex Luthor. Lex Luthor was nothing more than a liar and manipulator whose whole goal in life was to conquer the world himself."

"And how do you know that?" Goldie was still smug, obviously thinking that Chloe was blowing smoke.

"Because I knew Lex. Personally. I knew the kind of man he was, and there was nothing, nothing trustworthy about him or what he did. Everything had some kind of hidden agenda to it. And before you ask how I know that, it was because I was on the receiving end of it and as a young reporter, discovered a lot of it later. As did my cousin."

Now it was time for the real clincher. "My cousin, Lois Lane, was murdered by Lex because she had discovered what he was really up to."

As much as speaking those words hurt, she could see the shock fill the faces in front of her and knew that most of them no longer believed that Goldie's plan was a viable one. Knowing she had won, Chloe sat back down, enjoying the look that passed over Goldie's face.

It was several moments before the leaders gathered their bearings and started discussing things among themselves. Finally, Karl again rose and spoke. "It would seem that in light of this new information that we still have some things to think about before deciding on what course of action to take regarding Kal-El. As such I propose that we take a few days to mull things over."

Chloe took the other's silence as an agreement. "Very well, we will meet back here in three days for the officially scheduled briefing. Dismissed."

She sat back as the others filed out of the room. She may have averted the crisis this time, but if the looks Goldie and Pearson had given her as they left were anything to go by, they hadn't given up; not by a long shot.

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Kara flopped backwards onto one of the two couches in her and Chloe's office, careful not to land too hard. The office wasn't anything fancy, but it did have the most comfortable couches she had ever laid on, including the well used couch Clark had kept in the loft.

Placing her hands behind her head, she glanced up at Chloe as she sunk onto the opposite couch, her eyes closed. "We had better hope that Goldie doesn't discover your lie."

Chloe didn't flinch; she must have figured that before she had ever opened her mouth in the meeting. "Technically, I didn't lie. Lex was everything I said and more."

"True, but we both know that in this instance his research was right on the money. Shoot Kal-El with one of those darts and he'll be dead in moments."

Chloe sent Kara a sly smile. "Yeah, _we_ know that, but _Goldie_ doesn't. And unless our plans have changed without me knowing, killing Kal-El was never part of the deal, so I doubt we plan to inform her of the truth."

"Even if we were, Goldie, Pearson, and their cronies would be the last one's we'd inform. Can you imagine what would happen if they knew the truth?" Kara mentally shuttered at her own thoughts. Goldie would have a field day and would quickly use the fact that Kara and Chloe did not divulge their past relationships to Kal-El to win the support of the other rebel leaders to her.

Chloe's thoughts seemed to mirror her own. "If Kal-El knew what we were doing, he might have thought twice about hiding his past as Clark Kent. No one would ever have followed us if they had known we were friends."

Kara started to laugh quietly. "If they knew that, just imagine what they would do if they found out that he and I are _biological_ cousins."

Chloe started to laugh with her. "Good point. Come on lets, get out of here. That meeting fried my brain and there isn't anything mandatory that we have to do today."

"But that would require moving." She sunk further into the couch.

"But isn't your bed more comfortable than that couch?"

Before Chloe blink, Kara sped to the door, laughing slightly as her friend blinked her eyes a few times before spinning her head towards the door. Humans were just so slow sometimes. "Come on slow poke, let's get going, I can hear my bed calling my name."

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Unlike Kara, whose thoughts were undoubtedly still on her bed and how long she could stay there before really having to go back to work, Chloe couldn't help but worry about Pete. She knew that he wanted to help over throw the Empire just as badly as she did, but he was more vulnerable than she was, not least of all because he was living directly under the Empire's rule.

She had felt bad for involving him in picking up Lois, true he had been the only one that could, but it didn't make her feel any better. If Fine or Kal-El discovered Lois, nothing would stand in their way from getting to her. She just hoped he was alright.

As if in answer to her silent prayer, her computer tablet dinged, telling her Pete was calling. Of course that relief instantly turned to worry; Pete never called unless it was an emergency and emergency usually meant something bad, especially now.

Chloe gasped as she saw Pete's face materialize on the screen. "Pete, what happened?!"

Kara was instantly at her side, her face registering shock, but amending Chloe's question. "Pete, who did this to you?"

Chloe could see his throat bob up and down a few times before he could get the words out. "We have a major problem, either Fine or Kal-El knows about Lois." Chloe and Kara gaped at him, how could they know? "A NKI agent came to the house, and not just any agent, the top guy himself, Agent Vince Carter. He had a picture of Lois that looked like it had been taken in the palace."

Chloe looked at Kara but spoke to both of her friends. "It wasn't Kal-El. If he had known there was someone looking like Lois around he'd have come for her himself, which leaves only Fine. And I don't have to tell you who I consider worse."

Kara nodded her agreement. "We can only hope that Fine merely thinks she's a woman we've trained to look and act like Lois in order to screw with Kal-El's mind."

Pete spoke up. "Why's that, no matter what Fine thinks he's going to try and kill her."

Chloe shook her head. "No, Kara's right. If he knew she was really Lois Lane, albeit from another dimension, he would kill her without hesitation, but if he thinks she's just a decoy, he'll interrogate her in an attempt to find out our plans."

Kara cut into Chloe's explanation. "That's neither here nor there at the moment. Pete, we need to know what you told him."

Pete sighed heavily. "I didn't want to tell him anything, but he was going to kill Johnny. I…I didn't have a choice." He shook his head again. "But I didn't tell him anything important; just that I knew the two of you were wanted fugitives but that I owed you a lot, and was doing you a favor. Guess it's a good thing you never actually told me where the base was and what you need Lois to do, huh?"

Chloe smiled wanly at him. "We didn't tell you for exactly this reason. With you still living under the Empire's rein your in danger. After this, I would have you moved here, right this minute, if I didn't suspect that Carter would know if you went anywhere."

Pete smiled back at her slightly. "Don't worry about me Chloe; I'm tougher that I look. Johnny and I will be fine."

Kara's voice lost some of its previous intensity. "We know, now go get yourself and your son to a doctor. You look like you need it."

He nodded at them and cut the transmission.

Chloe kept silent, trying to let her mind wrap around these recent turn of events. Things were spiraling out of control faster than she and Kara had ever imagined. They needed to talk to Lois and they needed to do it now. Time had suddenly become of the essence, and thy no longer had time to rest.

Kara's thoughts seemed to mirror her own. "Let's go talk to Lois."

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As the screen in front of her turned to blackness, Goldie couldn't help the smirk that spread across her face. It appeared that the fly camera had been well worth the three billion it had cost to build. Now she had all the information she needed. Chloe had embarrassed her today, something she would never forget, something she would repay by destroying whatever hope she had for her plan to succeed. And when that happened the two oh so fearless leaders would have to turn to hers.

She sighed contently, as a pair of strong arms wrapped around her shoulders. Marvin Pearson kissed her temple. "So what goodies did you discover today?"

Goldie leaned back into his embrace. "Only the means for the fall of Chloe and Kara, so that with the fall of Kal-El you and I shall become the rulers of the world." Not that she really intended for him to rule with her; he was a good partner and a great lover, but he was as power hungry as she was. Once they had no more need of each other, he would kill her without a second thought if she didn't kill him first. "I just don't know exactly how to implement it yet."

Marvin pulled her from the chair leading her towards their bed. "You'll figure it out; you always do. But let's not worry about it just now. There are so many other things that we could be doing. Things much more _pleasurable_."

Goldie, smiled contently as he pushed her backwards onto the bed; he was right they had plenty of time. Chloe and Kara were too big of fools to realize what she was up to, and by the time they did, it would be too late.

**And the plot thickens dun Dun DUN... You can call me a dork, I don't care. All my friends do. So thanks to Monaivendork we have this awesome trailer up on youtube for my story. Just search for New Krypton fanfic trailor and it should be the first option on the page. Check it out, really it'll be worth the time.  
**


	17. Chapter 17

**Please for give the extremely long time between posts, for I assure you I have not abandoned this story. My muse for it has merely abandoned me for a while. To conteract its absence, I have started to rewrite it, fixing some things that have bugged me. I'm hoping the result will be both better writting and a better story. In the mean time I have decided to post this small section I had written as part of Chapter 17 before my muse left me. I will be posting the re-written chapters as I finish them, and I encourage you to go back and read them, for while they should not effect the overall plot of the story I cannot promise it. But if you decide not to, it shouldn't be a big deal as the overall plot is the same. If anyone still is looking for this story I thank you for you're patience.**

Carter sat in his car contemplating his next move. He had been right in assuming that while Ross might not have known where the rebels were, he would know how to contact them. Unfortunatley, the signal he'd tracked from the Ross residence had been usless in finding the rebel's base.

At least he assumed it was. Even with all his signal tracking equipment the closest location to the origin of the signal was this bluff over looking the Atlantic Ocean. And he couldn't think of anyone in their right minds would put their base in a bluff that backed against the ocean, even if they were underground they'd be too easily cornered.

Mentally grumbling, he turned back to his computer checking his calculations for the fifth time; no one could say he wasn't thorough. After a minute the results came back and he allowed himself a slight frown; all of his equipment pointed to this being the signal's orgin. The rebels must have had signal scrabling eqipment, how else would they have stayed hidden all these years. Hence his dilemma. Fine would be furious if he came back without the information he'd been sent out to gather and yet for all intent and purposes the woman had diapeared off the face of the earth. Just then something on the screen in front of him grabbed his attention, something he hadn't noticed before; the signal wasn't coming from the bluff, it was coming from a point just off the coast, in the middle of the ocean. Was it possible the base wasn't underground but underwater? It seemed likely if he took into account his suspisions of who the two women were that Ross had been talking with.

But now he was faced with a different dilemma. According to NKI mandate, written by the emperor himself, he was to report any suspected sightings of either of these women to his Excellency without delay, regardless of any mission security. At yet as Fine had informed him, his current mission had to do with the safety of Emperor himself, and so it was up to him to decide what was more important; the capture of the suspected rebel leaders of this woman Fine claimed had the power to overthrow the emperor? And in actuallity when his mind formatted it like that, it wasn't much of a dilemma. It was his sworn duty to protect the Emperor and he would do so even if it meant lossing his life for disobeying an order.

But how to get out to the base. There had to be some form of ground entrance as all air travel was monitored. It would be well hidden, and have more security than any other buildiing than the Emperor's palace. But if there was one thing he knew, it was that no building, no fortress was impenetrable, especially for one man on a solo mission.

Carter gazed out his car window's studying the land for any hints of the entrance. After a moment, his trained eyes found the almost invisible lines etched in what appeared to be solid rock. At first gance they would appear to be fissures, but since when did fissures make perfect intersecting lines. He figured it must be some sort of elevator shaft into the base.

Carter frowned as he took in this information. It would seem that the rebel base had only one entrance which also meant it had only one exit. Unless they had other tunnels along the bluffs. It would make sense; no one in their right mind would have only one escape route. He'd encountered several rebels over his years with NKI none of them stupid. And from everything he'd heard about this particular rebel group they were both the largest and best organized of the lot.

In the space of ten minutes, Carter thought of and rejected a dozen different plans of entry. He concidered trying to find the other entrances but decided it would take too long. This was his best chance to get into the base. It would seem that he truly had only one option; allow himself to get captured and wait for the opportunity to escape.

As he thought about the best way to get captured without getting shot or otherwise incapacitated there was a quite beeping to be heard from the consul in front of him. Carter froze when he heard it; the beeping indicated an incoming call, but only a handful of people in the entire world had his number. And by the pattern of the beeping, which differed depending on who was calling him, it wasn't someone he was familiar with.

With only a moment of hesitation, Carter reached out and turned the communicator on. "Who are you and how in the name of Rao did you get this number?"

"Agent Carter," the smooth and slightly accented voice began, "if you would indulge me for just a couple of minutes I will explain everything. I'm sure you won't be disappointed."

Considerably more than a couple minutes later, Carter sat back with a mental smirk firmly in place. This would work even better than he had originally planned. And he would have the added bonus of knowing that his informant believed they would be getting more out of this than he would. It was almost a shame how easily power hungry people could be manipulated.

**This is completely unbettad so please forgive any typos.**


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